Sutton Tots Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have high expectations for children's learning and know the children very well. They recognise the skills they want children to learn and the knowledge children need to build upon. Staff provide a stimulating learning environment both indoors and outdoors. Children learn about the changes in temperatures and how to keep themselves warm by moving around. They jump up and down pretending to exercise. Children move confidently around the setting, making their own play choices from the interesting variety of activities on offer.

Children form strong bonds with the adults who care for them. Staff nurture and reassure children, ensuring their individual needs are well supported. They recognise what helps children to settle and this helps build children's confidence to explore the environment.

Children begin building friendships with their peers. They display excellent behaviour and staff support them to make positive relationships with others and learn social skills. Children are considerate to their friends, and staff praise them as they share and take turns. Children offer to share the tools as they create birthday cakes. They delight when staff comment on their lovely manners.

The management team has adapted to the challenges faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The setting introduced additional hygiene arrangements to keep children safe.

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

• Staff are skilled at spontaneously following children's interests and have a clear intent for what they want children to learn. Children enjoy creating roads out of wooden blocks on which to push their cars. Staff interact with the children, extending their vocabulary as they talk about the shiny, colourful cars and the long roads.
• Overall, staff promote children's mathematical development through counting rhymes and activities. However, mathematical language is not routinely used in everyday events. Through peer observations, the management team has identified ways to support staff to improve practice and teaching to a higher level.
• Staff expand children's vocabulary as they talk about home life experiences, such as birthdays, while they make pretend cakes. They use repetition and rhyming with children to embed new words. However, not all staff use effective questioning to extend and open up children's learning to a higher level.
• Staff use their observations and knowledge about children's starting points effectively to ensure they address any gaps identified in children's learning. For example, they recognise that children born during COVID-19 may have had less opportunity for social interaction with others.
• Staff observe and assess all children's progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders support staff to make referrals for additional support and ensure these children can make good progress.
• Children's independence is strongly promoted. They skilfully serve their own food as staff encourage them to make sensible choices about portion sizes. Children pour their own drinks and manage their self-care needs. Older children independently use the toilet and wash their hands afterwards.
• The manager consistently evaluates the performance of the nursery, taking into account the views of staff and parents. Staff report that they receive good support. Supervision enables them to reflect on their professional development.
• Leaders and staff regularly share children's developmental progress with parents. They share ideas for extending children's learning at home by using an online means of communication. Parents are highly satisfied with the nursery. For example, they feel that staff are very caring and approachable. Parents report that staff keep them updated about their child's day.
• Staff support children to develop good health and physical well-being. They provide healthy food and teach children about being healthy, getting fresh air and keeping warm. Staff talk about oral health with the children, practising teeth brushing with the older children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff understanding and practice of how to help children develop their mathematical skills
• support staff to use questioning even more effectively to extend children's learning.