Strawberry Poppets Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in the secure and exceptionally welcoming environments at this setting. Staff take great care to nurture all children so that they feel safe and well cared for. There are warm, trusting relationships between children and staff. Children are evidently extremely happy and thoroughly enjoy the time they spend in the setting. They make excellent progress in all aspects of their learning and development.

The setting provides an ambitious, broad curriculum, which is built on children's interests. As a result, children are highly engaged and motivated to learn. Children delight as they take part in an abundance of stimulating learning experiences. For example, they choose to bake shortbread to share with the elderly at the community centre and plant seeds in the outdoor area. Staff skilfully extend children's knowledge and understanding through a vast array of activities, ensuring a careful balance between adult-led and child-initiated activities. Children are exceptionally well prepared to move on to the next stage in their learning, including the move to school, when the time comes. Children learn lifelong skills, including how to be considerate of others. They share resources and take turns as they play. All children behave exceptionally well.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• The quality of teaching is exceptional. Staff are unwavering in their desire to provide consistently outstanding education and care for all children. They are accomplished in setting up challenging learning activities that ignite children's natural curiosity. For example, children in the pre-school room thoroughly enjoy slicing, squeezing and comparing different citrus fruits. Children benefit from exciting learning opportunities and consistently demonstrate tremendously high levels of engagement.
• The development of children's early language and communication is a clear priority. Staff support children's talk exceptionally well. Children's vocabulary is expanded, as staff introduce new words, such as 'echo'. Books, songs and stories are an intrinsic part of the setting. Children enjoy selecting books from the wide selection available to them. They enjoy sharing stories and songs with their friends. Staff ask children engaging questions about the stories they are reading. Older children begin to learn the different letter sounds as they sing phonics songs. They develop a love of books and some early reading skills. They develop a wide vocabulary and become confident communicators.
• Children benefit from meaningful and memorable experiences that teach them about the wider world. For example, they learn about special times and celebrations, such as Chinese New Year and Easter. Children also take part in local events, such as Remembrance Day. Children learn that all people are different. This means they begin to develop an understanding of their own uniqueness and respect for others.
• Staff have excellent knowledge and understanding of child development. They regularly assess what children know and can do. Where gaps are identified, staff liaise with parents and other professionals to ensure that children receive any available support. Allocated funding is spent wisely to ensure it has maximum impact on children's progress. For example, weekly visits form a sports specialist supports children's physical and social development. All children make excellent progress from their starting points.
• Healthy lifestyles are exceptionally well promoted. All children benefit from freshly prepared, nutritious meals. They discuss how eating fruit and vegetables help us stay healthy. Children learn about the importance of following rigorous hygiene practices, including good oral hygiene and regular handwashing.
• Since the last inspection, leaders have invested heavily in staff's professional development. They continually strive to elevate the quality of this already exceptional provision. Staff take full advantage of regular training opportunities to keep their knowledge up to date. Staff are wholly passionate about providing unrivalled levels of care and education. They seek targeted professional development opportunities to meet the needs of the children in their care, such as courses in safer sleep and supporting early communication and language. In turn, staff knowledge and understanding are continually enhanced, and they are extremely well equipped to meet the needs of the children.
• Parents speak extremely highly of the levels of care and education their children receive at the setting. They praise the way staff work in partnership with them to support their children to make continued progress.