Tees Valley Tots

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This nursery provides a welcoming space where children feel safe and ready to learn. Staff greet them warmly, helping them to settle quickly and build trust. Familiar routines give children a sense of security, and they grow in confidence as they move through the day. Staff notice changes in mood or behaviour and respond with calm, sensitive support. Children feel valued and listened to. They begin to express their feelings with increasing independence.

The curriculum is well planned and has clear aims. Children work towards 'shining star' targets that focus on communication, independence and social skills. Staff observe children at play and plan activities that help them to build on their learning, step by step. Children take part in a wide range of activities that spark curiosity and build their confidence. They enjoy their time at nursery. All children make good progress and achieve well.

Staff model positive behaviours and good manners. For example, they encourage children to use 'walking feet', take turns and speak kindly to others. Children respond well to these reminders and begin to use them without prompting. Staff offer plenty of praise and encouragement, which helps children to build self-esteem and develop positive relationships.

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

• Staff plan a wide range of activities that support children's development across all areas of learning. They use everyday play to build skills. For example, while toddlers play with dough, staff use simple, clear words such as 'pinch', 'prod' and 'poke' to help them to learn new words. Staff make learning fun. Children stay focused and join in with enthusiasm.
• Babies explore their environment safely and with curiosity. Those learning to crawl and stand build strength and coordination, for example on soft-play equipment. They enjoy exploring the smell and texture of fruit and jelly. They squash and squeeze it between their fingers with clear enjoyment. Staff stay close and support their learning well.
• All children are happy in their play and generally engage well. During whole-group times, such as story sessions, staff are skilled at including more confident children, who respond eagerly. However, younger or less confident children do not always receive the same level of attention. They are, occasionally, overlooked and not consistently supported to take part as fully as possible.
• Children take pride in doing things for themselves. Staff set clear expectations and encourage independence throughout the day. They give simple, direct instructions, for example when it is time to tidy the room. Children respond with enthusiasm and are eager to help. This helps to build their sense of responsibility. Children become increasingly capable and are proud of what they can do.
• Staff support children's health well. For example, children get fresh air and exercise when they spend time outdoors every day. Staff encourage children to wash their hands and talk to them about healthy choices at mealtimes. These routines help children to stay active and to learn how to care for their bodies.
• Leaders spend much of their time working directly with children. This hands-on approach helps to strengthen practice in the rooms where they are based. However, it limits their capacity to monitor the whole provision to identify and address minor weaknesses and support all staff as well as possible. For example, recent updates to procedures, such as food and nutrition arrangements, have not been communicated clearly across the team. This leads to occasional inconsistencies in practice.
• Parents speak highly of the care their children receive. There is a clear two-way flow of information between home and nursery, for example through regular conversations at drop-off and pick-up and an online app. Staff invite parents to stay-and-play sessions. This helps to build a shared approach to supporting children's learning and strengthens the progress they make.
• Professional development focuses on children's needs, and staff apply new knowledge in practice. For example, recent learning has strengthened their confidence in supporting children's language development. Children's progress has accelerated. More children are using full sentences, joining in conversations and expressing their needs clearly.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• refine how group activities are organised so that all children are consistently encouraged to join in and benefit from staff's good teaching at these times
• build on leadership capacity to better support staff and practice across the nursery, so that good-quality care and learning are consistently embedded.