Street Farm Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children benefit from frequent, supportive and engaging interactions from staff. Babies enthusiastically explore their very comfortable play spaces. Older children confidently share their own ideas, such as making a necklace. They feel at ease asking staff to help them meet their goal. Staff attentively support children to use the resources, such as small beads, that require close adult supervision. This helps to keep children safe. Children's behaviour towards one another is very positive and friendly. They follow staff's positive role modelling and gentle guidance where it is, very occasionally, needed. Toddlers practise carrying out small tasks independently as they fetch their own belongings, including their drinks.

Staff do not rush the children. They ensure everything is done at a pace that suits each individual child. This creates a calm and relaxed environment where children thrive. Staff are flexible to children's needs, seldom interrupting children's play and learning. The curriculum is designed to help children gain key skills, and to give them increasing levels of challenge as they grow older, and more capable. Staff focus on promoting children's communication and language skills. They carefully assess where children are in their learning. Staff put in place extra support if there any signs of possible delay. This helps children to make good progress, and catch up with their peers.

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

• Leaders demonstrate their commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of children. They have taken action to address weaknesses in practice after a recent significant incident, which was promptly reported to Ofsted, other agencies and parents. Risk assessments, including how well staff supervise children, have been strengthened. Staff complete lots of training and professional development, which helps to increase their knowledge and skills over time.
• Leaders expertly manage settling-in and children's move to the next room they will use. This has a very positive impact on children, helping them to develop a strong sense of security and belonging. Managers carefully plan staffing arrangements so that children who are settling in, or moving on to the next room, have staff that they have formed a bond with on hand to support them. Older children are able to visit their previous childcare space at their leisure during 'free flow' times of the day. Toddlers are able to share space with older children, visiting the room that they will move to, and to play if they wish.
• Staff purposefully plan for children's learning, consequently, all play-based activities that children join in with have clear learning intentions. For example, older children experiment with the force needed to move a balloon attached to a straw, which is threaded onto a string. Staff make comments that prompt children to develop their thinking and reasoning skills.
• Children benefit from the language-rich environment. Staff introduce children to lots of new words and language throughout their many back-and-forth conversations. However, staff do not frequently deliver some aspects of the intended curriculum, such as the consistent use of sign language, and other methods identified by the provider, to further support children in strengthening their vocabulary.
• Staff prioritise children's health and well-being. For example, staff pay close attention to the weather and frequently help children to apply sun cream, and ensure that they wear sun hats. Staff frequently encourage children to drink to stay hydrated. Older children explain their understanding of the reasons for such routines. Careful meal planning, taking into account children's dietary needs, means that no child feels left out or treated differently at mealtimes.
• Staff regularly read to children, which helps to develop their early literacy skills. Children show their familiarity as they join in with key parts of stories that they hear on a regular basis. Staff help them to understand concepts, such as fair decision making, as they vote on which book to listen to. They also offer the opportunity for the book that was not chosen to be enjoyed later in the day.
• Parents are very positive about the nursery. They report how much their children enjoy coming. Parents appreciate the detailed written and verbal feedback they get about their child's day. Close attention is paid to children's individual needs. Managers ensure that parents are informed about what staff do to help their children's progress from the outset.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's understanding of aspects of the intended curriculum that support children to strengthen their vocabulary.