TAD Children's Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery happy and eager to start their day. They are welcomed by friendly and nurturing staff, who plan experiences that they know children will enjoy. The nursery has an ethos of mutual respect and this permeates through the nursery. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and teach them the importance of good manners, sharing and turn taking. Children know the daily routine and follow instructions well. They help to tidy up and listen carefully to staff when they speak. Children know what is expected of them and older children begin to resolve their own differences.

Overall, staff implement a strong curriculum for communication and language development from the start. Younger babies practise babbling, making animal sounds and linking sounds with pictures in books. Older children impressively sing entire songs to their friends independently at circle time. They demonstrate a great deal of self-confidence. For children who do not yet communicate verbally, staff plan bespoke activities that help them to learn key words, such as 'eyes', 'nose', and 'mouth'. Staff support children to learn at their own pace. They are well prepared for the next stage in their development

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

• All staff establish secure and trusting relationships with children of all ages. This helps all children, including the babies, to settle quickly into the nursery. Staff know babies' routines and meet their needs well. Children enjoy positive interactions with staff. They seek them out for hugs or to share their thoughts during natural conversations.
• The manager and staff establish positive partnerships with parents, who speak fondly of them. Staff involve parents well and keep them informed about their children and what they have been doing, including their next steps in learning. Staff share helpful advice with parents, such as toileting tips. Parents state that their children enjoy gong to nursery and 'their days are filled with joy and learning' and they make 'remarkable progress'.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have very good support systems in place. Leaders and staff work together to identify the children who require additional support and early intervention. In addition, they work closely with external professionals to implement targets and tailored interventions to support children's next steps in learning. As a result, children with SEND make good progress from their starting points in development.
• The manager is very new to her post and well supported by the senior leaders. Staff have opportunities for regular supervision sessions. These provide staff with regular support and opportunities to reflect on their practice. Staff are able to access training, including across the nursery group. Staff morale is high and the nursery is a happy environment for all.
• Children develop good communication skills overall. Staff encourage them to make choices in their play. They implement specific stories and rhymes to help children to learn new words to increase their vocabulary. However, at times, staff do not provide children with sufficient time to respond during conversations, so they can share their ideas, knowledge and understanding of different concepts.
• Children play and interact well with one another. They enjoy working as a team and tell staff that 'sharing is caring'. Staff use stories and pictures cards to help children to understand their emotions and to talk about how they are feeling.
• Opportunities for children to express themselves during arts and craft activities are sometimes restricted. For example, when children take part in a creative activity, staff provide pre-drawn pictures and shapes. This means that children do not have the opportunity to express their own artistic ideas or creativity.
• Staff encourage children to manage their own self-care needs. For example, babies feed themselves using cutlery, toddlers put on their own shoes and pre-school children serve their own lunches. This helps children to become increasingly independent and be ready for their next stage in learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to share their ideas, knowledge and understanding of different concepts further, such as by considering the length of time young children need to respond during conversations
• extend opportunities for children to express and represent their own artistic ideas and creativity during planned activities.