The Avenues Nursery With Kids Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children leave their parents and carers with ease as they arrive at the nursery. They are greeted warmly by staff and show great independence in the morning routines. Children settle straight down to activities that interest and engage them. They behave well. Children understand what is expected of them. Staff act as positive role models and are quick to support children to make the right choices when they sometimes forget. Children learn to put words to their emotions through stories and activities. For example, children discuss their feelings and compare these to a story about a monster. Children link the different-coloured monsters to their feelings when they describe what they draw. Children feel safe and secure.

Managers and staff carefully plan and provide an ambitious curriculum for children. Children develop their small hand muscles, such as by practising how to use scissors to cut paper and using different tools to manipulate dough. They apply their imaginations as they make bridges using bricks and planks. Outdoors, children are thrilled to have opportunities to play in the large sandpit or mix and pour in the mud kitchen. Staff have very high expectations for every child to become independent. Children are confident in using water butts and jugs to pour their own drinks. They use tongs and spoons to serve their own meals. This helps children to be ready for school.

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

• The manager and staff develop a curriculum that prepares children for the next stage in their development. Staff gather detailed information from parents and carers when children join the setting. This helps staff to know children's interests and their previous learning experiences. Staff carefully use this information to provide opportunities to enable children to build on their existing skills.
• Overall, children benefit from activities that support their communication and language skills. Staff are skilled at introducing new words to children as they play. They ask questions which require children to think about what they have heard and to check children's understanding and embed their learning. However, staff do not consistently embed a language-rich environment within the baby room. For instance, they play loud background music, which reduces what babies can hear and understand. This limits babies' opportunities to develop their growing vocabulary.
• Children benefit from exciting activities that help them to develop good physical skills. They use their small-muscle skills and hand-eye coordination to wash and peg washing on the line, which is linked to their book of the month. Furthermore, children have ample opportunities to practise and build on their large-muscle skills and coordination. They take part in physical activities, such as using bicycles and cars and role play on the garden stage.
• The knowledgeable and passionate special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) knows children's needs well. Communication is effective within the team. This ensures that any concerns are brought to the attention of the SENCo and children's parents quickly. Staff have a wealth of knowledge. They put strategies in place straight away to ensure that children's gaps in development close quickly. The SENCo has good links with outside agencies, who are invited into the nursery to support children and staff.
• Parents are happy with the care that the nurturing staff provide for their children. They are kept up to date about their child's daily routines and activities. However, staff do not consistently help parents to understand what their child's next steps in learning and development are or how they can continue to support their children's learning at home.
• Managers are passionate about the nursery. All staff work effectively as a team. They have regular meetings to discuss the curriculum and the environment. Staff spend time reflecting on their practice and children's needs. The manager makes good use of training to develop staff's knowledge and skills. Staff feel well supported in their role and feel that their well-being is a priority.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the impact on children's listening skills from background noise, to ensure that children can listen effectively and gain a greater understanding of vocabulary and its context
• ensure that children's next steps are shared with parents to improve the continuity of children's learning at home.