The Ark Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely happy learners and echoes of their laughter are heard throughout the nursery. Children show that they feel secure and confident in the surroundings when they politely welcome visitors with, 'hello, how are you?' The emotional well-being of individual children and their families is prioritised from the start, with tailored settling-in processes. Babies and children settle seamlessly with this effective approach. A robust key-person system ensures they make trusting bonds with the friendly and nurturing staff.

Children are keen to take part in group activities. These are often targeted to help bridge gaps identified in individual children's learning. For example, children learn about prepositions, such as 'behind' and 'under', through fun and interactive games and stories. This helps them to be able to communicate their own ideas with accuracy and flair.

A well-planned curriculum provides children with opportunities to explore the local community and learn about their place within it. They take trips to the beach and regular outings where children find out about the people and places close by. Children develop empathy and kindness through excellent modelling from staff. When children hug and comfort peers when they have hurt themselves, staff give specific praise which reinforces these positive behaviours.

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

• Indoor and outdoor environments are inclusive, stimulating and inviting. They are planned carefully to ensure resources are easily accessible and age appropriate. This means children are inquisitive and motivated learners who are making independent choices in their preferred play.
• Staff are knowledgeable about what and how they want children to learn at different ages and stages of development. However, at times staff do not always consider their interactions deep enough to ensure opportunities that arise naturally in play are utilised and extended to further children's learning.
• Physical development is promoted for all children. They are adventurous as they love freedom to run and climb on the outdoor play equipment. They know if they hold their arms out to the side this helps them balance. Children enjoy trips to the local soft-play facility where they can safely extend and test their physical limits and learned skills, such as jumping.
• Children become increasing independence over time, ready for when they progress to school. They learn to pour their own drinks at mealtimes and learn about good oral health and personal hygiene routines.
• Overall, teaching is meaningful and very good quality. Staff know the children's individual next steps in learning, and they plan for these carefully. For example, staff skilfully places objects for babies to reach out for and explore during 'tummy time'. As a result, babies develop the muscles needed for important milestones such as rolling over, crawling, and eventually walking. They smile and beam gleefully when they achieve something new.
• The management team and staff liaise effectively with outside agencies, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure children receive support that meets their individual needs. As a result, all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are thriving. They make excellent progress in their learning and development, particularly in their speech and language development.
• Staff praise children for their good behaviour. This helps them to understand positive attitudes towards others. For example, when children offer a popular toy to a peer, they are proud when staff thank them for this kind gesture. Sometimes, there are inconsistencies in how staff respond to unwanted behaviours, which hinders younger children's growing ability to understand the importance of following fair rules and expected behaviours.
• The management team is dedicated and shows passion and commitment to giving children the best start to their early education. Staff report excellent well-being and appreciate training opportunities that raise the quality of their teaching.
• Parents are overwhelmingly complimentary about the nursery. They praise staff for going above and beyond to support them if they have a concern about their child's development. The management team gathers feedback from parents regularly to ensure that each family has a voice and can influence their children's support plans.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the monitoring of staff interactions with children to help raise the quality of teaching to an even higher level
• implement effective teaching strategies consistently to support children's deeper understanding of positive behaviours and the impact their behaviour has on others.