The Aunties' Old School Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The Aunties' Old School Nursery is a wonderful place for children to start their learning journey. Children flourish in this rich learning environment where highly skilled staff guide them with thoughtful understanding. Staff create exceptional opportunities for children to develop their skills indoors and outdoors, regardless of the weather. Children explore, play, solve problems and think for themselves every day.

The ambitious curriculum is well embedded and effective. The imaginative and stimulating range of activities and experiences sustains children's interests and keeps them engaged. Learning is active, exciting and fun. For example, children create their own muddy slope and enthusiastically slide down on sledges. They immerse themselves in foam, delightedly clapping their hands watching it splatter in all directions. Staff have an excellent understanding of how children learn. They inspire and challenge children to do their very best at any activity they undertake.

Staff are exemplary role models showing respect to the children and each other. They use clear narratives and consistent, gentle reminders to embed fully the expectations of the nursery. Children listen attentively. They thrive under the responsibility and challenge as they check the outside area for hazards, lay tables for lunch and wash up afterwards. Children respond with kindness when turn taking and sharing. Their behaviour is exceptional.

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

• Inspirational and knowledgeable leaders have developed a precise, broad and ambitious curriculum, which they tailor to meet each child's learning needs. Staff place a high priority on planning and implementing exciting and motivating experiences that successfully embed core skills. For example, children have excellent support to develop their physical skills when they are outside as they explore the exciting environment.
• Staff observe and assess children's progress extremely well. They show a comprehensive knowledge of children's individual learning and development needs. The support for all children, including children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), is highly effective. The staff team are exceptionally proactive in identifying children who need additional help. Working alongside families and professionals, they aim for all children to have the same opportunities. As a result, all children make rapid progress.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the nursery. Staff ensure that parents are actively engaged in every aspect of their child's care and learning. Parents are welcomed to regular meetings and receive frequent updates. They talk extremely positively about leaders and staff. Parents describe them as
• 'exceptional' and are delighted with the excellent progress their children are making.
• Staff know the children remarkably well and are skilled in knowing how to challenge and extend children's learning even further. For example, as children explore the environment, they use magnifying glasses to examine a millipede they have found. They talk about its habitat and gently return it to its 'home'. Children thrive on rich experiences that help them to learn about the world around them.
• Children's understanding of healthy lifestyles is exemplary. Their understanding of oral health is enhanced when staff create words to popular songs to reinforce children's understanding. Children, sing along enthusiastically. They have an excellent understanding of the different food groups. This is because staff frequently reinforce children's understanding by asking questions and talking about healthy eating. For instance, children can explain that carbohydrates give them energy and milk contains calcium, which will make their bones strong.
• The development of children's communication and language skills is a high priority. Staff model language extremely well. They speak slowly and clearly, giving children time to respond to questions and instructions. They skilfully match the language they use and the questions they ask to the needs of each child. As a result, children are confident and articulate when speaking in variety of situations. For example, when they are encouraged to talk and sing on their own in large groups.
• Leaders have high aspirations for all staff. They work diligently with the staff team to reflect on their own practice and share new knowledge and skills. Staff receive an abundance of professional development opportunities, which supports staff to implement excellent practice. For instance, staff use updated skills to enhance interactions with children. Leaders ensure that staff have tailored supervision that effectively provides them with regular coaching and mentoring. Staff feel extremely well supported and valued.