Tarbiyah Nurseries

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nurturing managers and staff work hard to create a welcoming and inclusive setting. Parents comment on the 'family feel', and children are eager to race inside. The curriculum reflects the managers' vision for children to be independent and confident. Children have many opportunities to develop independence during the day. As young children enter the setting, staff help them to think about where their coats and bags belong, and older children change from their outdoor shoes to indoor shoes with proficiency. Children make good progress as they transition through the setting.

Managers know their community well and provide an inclusive environment for all children. They support staff to offer a curriculum that builds on children's learning needs. For example, staff support children who speak English as an additional language by providing narratives as they play. Staff also offer new and descriptive words, such as 'squeeze' and 'mix'. This helps children's vocabulary grow, and they become confident in speaking English. Staff model behaviour well. They speak nicely to children and thank children for passing toys to each other. Children respond well, and their behaviour is good. Staff help children to remain safe. For example, they remind children to pick up toys so they do not fall over them. As a result, children are beginning to consider their own and others' safety.

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

• Managers strive to make continuous improvements to the setting by supporting staff's well-being and professional development. They encourage staff to attend training to enrich their teaching skills. For example, following training to support children's early literacy, staff in the pre-school room encourage children to listen to and recognise sounds. These skills help to prepare children in readiness for learning to read at school.
• Managers work in partnership with parents. For example, they arrange coffee mornings to share information, such as ideas to promote children's oral health. Parents are delighted with the progress their children make. As one parent commented, 'My child is more able to do things for themselves.'
• Children's next steps in learning are generally well planned. Staff know the children well and can identify their goals for learning. For example, they help children to use longer sentences to aid their communication. However, some planned learning intentions are not sharply focused on children's current abilities. For example, staff ask children who are not yet confident in naming colours to predict what will happen when they mix two colours together. This stage of learning is beyond their current ability. It does not build on what they know and can do.
• The curriculum supports children's physical development effectively. For example, children have opportunities to develop their small muscles as they manipulate dough. They also benefit from outdoor play. For example, children have a tremendous time as they scoop balls and practise their throwing and catching skills. These activities help to develop children's balance and hand-eye coordination.
• The curriculum is planned to engage children in both adult-led and child-initiated activities. Staff also use visual and verbal aids to help children recognise the next stage of the routine. This helps children to feel prepared, and they generally engage well. However, on occasion, staff do not plan thoroughly. For example, while reading a story, staff hand out props to children. As a result, some children become distracted and do not listen to the story. At these times, children are not engaged in learning.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) shows her commitment to the role by completing ongoing research and training. She uses her expertise to increase staff knowledge. As a result, all staff are skilled in supporting children with SEND. This helps children to reach their full potential.
• Funding is used appropriately to support disadvantaged and vulnerable children. For example, the managers have used funding to provide one-to-one support for children. They have also purchased resources, such as fidget tools, to support children's concentration and engagement. All children, including those with SEND, make good progress.
• Staff are attentive to children's personal needs. They encourage children to wash their hands after messy activities and after they blow their noses. This helps children to develop their self-care skills.
• Transitions are carefully considered, both through the setting and into school. Staff use innovative ideas to help prepare children for their transitions. For example, they use uniforms from local schools, which promotes lots of discussion with children. Staff read stories and help children to recall friends and siblings who have started school. This helps to prepare children for their transition to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus targets on children's current abilities, to promote precise and sequenced learning
• refine the curriculum planning during group activities to help children remain engaged in their learning.