Tamba Day Nursery Olympic Park

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and content and enjoy their time at nursery. They have warm and affectionate attachments with staff and demonstrate that they feel emotionally secure. Children are motivated to learn and enthusiastically engage in rich and varied play activities that are sensitively planned by staff to reflect the children's individual interests. Staff support children to develop good communication and language skills. Children borrow books from the library and take these home to share with their parents. Children display very keen interests in their play and learn to make decisions about what they want to do. For example, children spend time exploring with different role-play resources in the home corner, and they use their imagination effectively to bring their ideas to life.

Staff give children time to have a go, particularly when putting on their coats, taking off their shoes or washing their hands before lunch. This helps to ensure that children have the self-help skills needed in preparation for school. Children behave well and play cooperatively together. Babies develop their physical skills as they navigate wooden bridges and tunnels. Older children demonstrate their confidence and abilities on the bicycles they ride in the outdoor area and enjoy yoga, music and dance sessions.

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

• Leaders are ambitious for children and staff. They involve staff in research to further explore how children learn best. Leaders identify professional development opportunities for staff and encourage them to gain recognised qualifications. They use additional funding effectively to enhance children's learning experiences. This contributes well to the progress children make in their learning.
• Children benefit from a range of stimulating resources that trigger their imaginations and help motivate them to explore, investigate and experiment. For example, children role play using kitchen utensils, flour, water and lemon to make pancakes. However, at times, some staff miss opportunities to give children time to answer the questions they are asked.
• Staff observe and assess children's progress, helping them to build on what they already know and can do. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with parents and liaise with other professionals to get children the help they need. Children make good progress in their development, and they are prepared well for the next stage of learning and their move to school.
• Staff provide engaging opportunities for children to practise their mark making and develop early writing skills. Children learn how to comfortably use scissors to practise their cutting skills, which extends their physical development.
• Staff teach children about healthy eating options, the effect food has on the body and how some foods are not good for your teeth. Children learn how to clean their teeth to improve oral health.
• Babies and toddlers show great interest in books. They listen attentively to familiar stories and repeat words and animal sounds. Older children confidently answer questions about what they can see on the page. Staff engage them in conversation and introduce a wide range of vocabulary. Staff use their training in sign language to help to extend children's communication skills well.
• Staff provide children with good opportunities to learn about different cultures, backgrounds and family types. They learn about dance and music from different countries around the world.
• Leaders ensure that staff maintain constant communication with parents, and they share ideas to extend children's learning at home. Parents speak highly about their children's experiences and the committed staff team. They feel that their children are making good progress and have increased their independence and confidence.
• Leaders carry out regular staff supervision sessions and provide staff with coaching to improve their personal effectiveness. Teaching is of a good quality throughout the nursery.
• Staff promote positive behaviour. They give children lots of praise for their achievements, helping to raise their self-esteem. Staff take time to explain what is expected of them. Children behave well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide further training and support to enhance staff's understanding of how to extend children's learning when asking them questions.