Teeny Tots Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children beam with smiles and chat with each other as they play with the sand or engage in play dough activities together. Children confidently approach new people, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. The consistent nursery routines support them to know when it is time to play, eat and rest. Staff invest time into their caring interactions. Therefore, children form secure and trusting relationships with the staff who care for them.

Children of all ages benefit from a well-planned environment. The toys and resources in each area are chosen by staff to promote children's learning in readiness for their future. Children are confident. They are eager to join in with staff to discover the learning opportunities on offer, such as exploring the properties of coloured water. They talk about what they are doing and express their ideas.

Key persons have effective methods of developing relationships with, and seeking a wide range of information from, parents, so they know the children well. Staff are effective in engaging with other professionals when needed. They make referrals to external services, signposting parents to support from other professionals. This helps all children to receive the support they need to make progress in relation to their individual starting points.

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

• The manager and all practitioners have high aspirations and expectations for all the children, including those who are deemed as vulnerable or children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The learning environment is rich in opportunities, experiences and challenges. The manager has created a room to support children who require a quieter and sensory environment to support and regulate their emotional well-being.
• Children's communication and language skills are supported very well throughout the nursery. Staff working with babies and toddlers encourage them to join in with songs and rhymes. Older children enjoy listening to well-read stories. Staff introduce new words and carefully explain their meaning. For example, staff lead discussions with children about the game of hopscotch. Children are confident communicators and happily engage in conversations with visitors.
• Staff say that they feel extremely well supported by the manager. They express how they feel valued as staff members and enjoy working as part of the friendly and happy team. Staff benefit from ongoing supervision sessions and have opportunities to attend further training.
• Children learn about the importance of oral health. All children have their own toothbrush and brush their teeth to the 'toothbrush' song. This activity helps to develop children's awareness of good teeth cleaning routines.
• Transitions to school are managed well. For example, Reception teachers visit children at the nursery, and children enjoy visits to their new school. This partnership working provides a more relaxed transition for the children. It also enables them to build relationships with their teachers and friends at their new school.
• Staff confidently weave mathematical language into children's play. This means that children confidently count how many play dough cupcakes they have made. They role play exchanging money for a selection of cakes and fruits. This helps to develop children's understanding of making good food choices and using money.
• The children delight in pretending to be doctors, nurses and patients They take turns to apply bandages to their 'poorly' friends. They have fun using words such as 'bandage', 'thermometer', 'stethoscope' and 'medicine'. Staff support children's awareness of the different roles of nursing staff and immerse themselves into different roles, such as the paramedic.
• Children are independent. Staff help children to do tasks for themselves from an early age. Babies learn to wash and dry their hands. At mealtimes, they develop their coordination as they use a fork and spoon to eat. Older children put on their own coats and fill up drinking bottles from the dispenser.
• Babies develop their physical skills in the well-designed play space. They are enthusiastic when climbing, and they smile and babble together when exploring the equipment. Babies show good coordination and strength as they pull themselves up to standing, crawl, and slide down the slope.
• Staff take time to gather information about children from their parents and carers. This helps them to know what children can already do and where they can start to enhance their development. Partnerships with parents are successful. Parents value the excellent communication and say that staff at all levels are like a family and go above and beyond in their support.
• Mathematics is firmly embedded and woven into children's activities. Younger children are introduced to numbers and counting through songs. Older children count with confidence and recognise a range of numbers and shapes in the environment. They also develop an understanding of mathematical concepts, such as 'short' and 'long'. Consequently, children develop positive attitudes towards early mathematics.
• Children learn how to solve problems. They enjoy working collaboratively with their friends. For example, staff support children to create an obstacle course, using large beams. Children encourage one another to walk along the beams and cheer when they succeed. This fosters children's confidence in their abilities and a positive attitude to learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the timescales of safeguarding training during the induction process.