Taplins Day Nursery SGH

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily and quickly settle into activities on arrival. They have strong bonds with the warm and caring staff. Children, including those who are not yet talking, are confident in expressing their thoughts, feelings and ideas. For example, children use gestures to show that they want to sing 'Wheels On The Bus'. They beam in delight when staff quickly understand and begin to sing.

Staff have high expectations of children and their behaviour. Children have a good understanding of what is expected from them. They learn to solve minor conflicts, such as over a toy, with adult support.

Children develop a sense of autonomy as staff give them opportunities to have opinions and make choices. Staff skilfully weave mathematics and an understanding of democracy into children's experiences. For example, children vote for which messy play equipment they would like and are supported as they work out which option has the most votes.

Children learn to cook a variety of foods as staff are passionate about teaching them important life skills. Children eagerly take part in activities, such as preparing fruit kebabs and garlic naan bread. Staff help children to develop a love for reading. They read stories to children who have clear favourites such as 'The Gruffalo's Child'. Children eagerly join in as they shout out the phrases they have recalled.

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

• The manager and staff have created a curriculum with input from parents and children. The curriculum builds on what children know and can do. It is based on four key aims. These are to develop children's independence, to promote their understanding of emotions, to support them to be confident communicators and to become curious and active learners.
• Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in their learning and development. Staff use assessments effectively to determine children's next steps in learning.
• Activities are carefully planned to meet the curriculum aims and children's next steps. However, on occasion, there are inconsistencies in how staff implement these activities. This impacts children's learning and development as they sometimes become disengaged.
• Staff ensure children who speak English as an additional language are fully included within the provision. They work with families to support the development of children's language skills in their home language as well as
• English. Staff share children's home languages and cultures with all children. For example, parents have recently recorded themselves reading stories in their native tongue for all children to listen to. This helps develop children's sense of belonging as well as their language skills.
• Staff support children's communication skills well. They model new vocabulary to children and repeat these frequently to develop children's understanding. For example, staff introduce words such as sandcastle and bucket as children play in the sandpit. Additionally, staff teach children simple sign language. This helps them to communicate before they have developed their spoken vocabulary. This, in particular, helps children who speak English as an additional language and children with SEND to communicate.
• Parents comment on the strong bonds that the key person has with their children. They highly value the good communication they receive from staff. This includes ideas on how to support their children's learning at home. Staff build on this further by offering a lending library to parents that includes a range of books and treasure bags.
• Overall, children behave well and follow the rules of the provision. However, there are points in the daily routines when children are asked to sit for long periods, such as before, during and after mealtimes. At these times, some children become restless and unsettled.
• Staff teach children about how to keep themselves safe in numerous different ways. For example, staff use age-appropriate methods to teach children about online safety. Children also confidently share what to do if the fire alarm was to sound. They explain they have to leave the building to keep themselves safe.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed further staff's understanding of how to implement activities to meet the curriculum aims
• review daily routines and transitions so children are not waiting for extended periods of time.