Taywood Nursery School Seedlings

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted by knowledgeable staff who are welcoming and friendly in their approach. Staff at this small, homely setting help children to feel that they are valued and that they belong. Staff spend time with each child looking at their family photographs. They talk about who they can see in the pictures and children proudly show their friends. Children show that they feel safe and secure as they explore the environment, and they know where to find their drinks and favourite activities. Children beam with excitement as they find the musical instruments. They bang and shake them as staff and other children sing along. Staff act as good role models. They support the children to follow the expectations, such as using good manners. Young children use simple sign language to say thank you at snack time, without prompting.

Leaders have an excellent understanding of the curriculum. They have high expectations for all children. Leaders have carefully designed a curriculum that is aspirational and builds on what children know and can do over time. The curriculum gives priority to supporting children's progress across the prime areas of learning. The setting continues to identify the impact on children of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly children's language. Staff use their strong knowledge of child development to identify when children may benefit from extra support in their learning. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in their learning.

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

• There is a clear focus on supporting children's communication and language skills. The setting is a language-rich environment, where babble, talk and singing are valued. Staff support children to learn their first words through stories and play. They introduce a range of new and interesting vocabulary. As babies point to photographs or pictures in books, staff name what they can see and introduce new words, such as 'maraca'.
• Songs and stories are an integral part of this setting. Staff use core stories to help embed children's language and literacy skills. They present and read stories in an exciting way. Babies eagerly turn pages and point to pictures, recalling the sounds of animals they see in the pictures. Staff use puppets to animate stories, and babies smile in delight. Children enjoy lots of songs and stories that help to extend their communication and early literacy skills.
• The setting ensures that there is a good exchange of information with parents about children's care needs and development. Staff gather detailed information from parents about their children's interests and needs. Parents have noticed lots of progress in their children's communication and language skills since they have started. Partnerships with parents and other agencies are a key strength of this nursery.
• Children benefit from interesting environments that are well matched to their age and stage of development. Staff carefully consider how they position furniture and resources to support children to begin to crawl and take their early steps. Staff encourage children to climb into the sandpit and scoop and fill buckets. Children use their hand-eye coordination to position stacking bricks, and staff encourage them to keep trying. Children show great confidence in their physical skills.
• Staff use their interactions well to introduce early mathematical concepts as children play. For example, when staff cut up fruit at snack time, they talk about the size and shape. As children scoop up sand, staff introduce language such as 'more'. When children access interestingly shaped objects, staff encourage them to use their problem-solving skills to sort and stack them. Staff support children to develop their early mathematical skills in fun, exciting ways.
• Staff enhance children's learning well. They plan enjoyable opportunities that build on what children know and can do. Staff use their knowledge of children's interests from home as they plan motivating activities for children. However, staff do not always identify what children show them in the moment to support children's emerging interests and extend their learning further. At times, this limits children's engagement in some activities.
• Leaders are reflective and committed to the continual improvement of staff practice. Staff receive coaching and are provided with opportunities to visit other settings to observe and learn new ideas. However, leaders have not evaluated the impact that this support has had, meaning that some minor weaknesses remain. For instance, at times, staff do not ensure that they are consistent in their approach when capturing children's attention before giving instructions. This does not fully support children to learn to listen and respond effectively.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to respond to what they see in the moment to enhance children's learning further
• provide targeted support for staff to precisely address minor inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum.