Summerfield House Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff warmly welcome children into the nursery. They plan activities that capture the children's interest and imagination. The nursery provides a wide range of suitably challenging activities that help the children to build on what they know and can do. Children enjoy time outdoors, planting seeds and growing vegetables in their allotment. Children excitedly collect eggs and learn about the animals on the on-site farm. Children feel safe to confidently explore and make choices about what they want to do. They show good levels of engagement and are supported with turn taking. Children are rewarded for their achievements and are well prepared for their transition to school. Children's communication and language are supported through meaningful interactions. New vocabulary is introduced through engaging books, stories and songs.

Parents positively comment that their children are happy, they are kept updated regularly, and the nursery has a positive impact on their children's development. Children are supported with good hygiene routines, such as washing hands before eating, and are taught about oral health, for example, by a visiting dentist. Children learn about diversity through appropriately planned activities and the resources provided.

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

• Staff plan opportunities to develop children's early language and communication. Children engage in familiar stories and songs, joining in with repeated refrains. Staff comment on what children are doing, ask relevant questions to extend their thinking, and allow time for the children to respond. Children's communication needs are identified early and measures put in place to help provide support, ensuring children make progress.
• Children learn about people who are similar and different to themselves. For example, they learn about modern Britain through cultural celebrations and festivals. Children are taught how to look after the environment. For example, children are encouraged to recycle.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are regularly informed of children's progress. Staff work with parents to achieve good outcomes for children. For example, they support and encourage toilet training through 'boot camps', which give parents the confidence to try toilet training, knowing it is being supported and encouraged by the setting.
• Children are well prepared for their next stages of development and their move on to school. For example, children in the pre-school room practise changing into shorts and t-shirts for physical education lessons, helping to promote confidence and independence effectively.
• Staff are particularly caring towards children, creating a nurturing environment.
• Children are comforted when upset and approach adults for help and support, confident that their needs are going to be met.
• Children behave well. For instance, children are kind to their friends, listen to each other, take turns, and greet visitors politely. Overall, staff deliver consistent messages and, consequently, children know and understand the behavioural expectations.
• The manager ensures that practitioner's knowledge is kept up to date in the core areas, such as food hygiene, first aid and safeguarding. More regular supervision with specific individual targets and training in areas of learning and development would help to reduce any inconsistencies in knowing the intent of learning for children.
• Children are provided with a range of physical activities that meet the children's differing needs. For example, babies catch bubbles, while older children have fun as they climb the castle.
• Overall, the nursery provides a range of interesting and suitably challenging activities that, together with meaningful interactions, help the children meet their learning intentions. For instance, younger children explore the sounds of different instruments. Older children follow directions to play their instruments 'loudly', 'quietly', 'quickly' and 'slowly'. However, not all staff are consistent in knowing the intent of learning for the children and, sometimes, the key learning intention is lost. Consequently, children are not always making the most of the opportunities available.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop the supervision of staff, with specific individual targets and training in areas of learning and development that would help to reduce any inconsistencies in knowing the intent of learning for children
• ensure a clearer focus on intended learning when planning activities so that the aim and objective of the activity is not lost.