The Brampton Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly greeted by friendly staff as they arrive. Staff communicate effectively with parents to gather key information, which helps them to meet the needs of the children effectively. They skilfully use strategies, such as the 'calm down tin', to help children transition smoothly into the nursery and ensure they can begin their day positively.

Staff provide a broad curriculum that supports children to be deeply engaged in their learning. Children display a positive attitude towards their learning and become quickly engrossed in a range of enticing activities. Outdoor learning plays an integral part of children's experiences. Babies enjoy the sensory experience of sand in their hands and older children explore using drills and during water play. Natural resources, such as leaves, are used for creative activities, and children make pretend cakes in the mud kitchen, exploring different textures.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They act as positive role models and encourage children to be kind to their peers and play safely. Children listen intently to staff and follow instruction well, in particular when engaging in activities such as using a sewing machine, which requires concentration and awareness of safety to use tools responsibly.

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

• Leaders have a clear vision for the nursery and reflect well. They show passion for ensuring that children receive the very best care and their needs are met. Staff feel valued and are well supported. Leaders provide a range of training opportunities to help further build on staff's knowledge. For example, recent training in providing respectful care and delivering story baskets has supported staff to build on their skills, helping them to provide high-quality care to children.
• Partnerships with parents are well established. They are encouraged to be involved with the nursery in a variety of ways, including play sessions, reading stories to the children or attending the nursery to share cultural celebrations such as Hanukkah. This supports children's understanding of diversity. Parents stay updated about their child's learning through daily handovers, newsletters and are provided with tips for activities for children to continue their learning at home. The nursery also provides helpful information on topics such as oral health and car-seat safety.
• Staff form positive relationships with children throughout the nursery. Children are eager to involve staff in their play, and they receive good support for their learning and development. A key-person system is implemented. However, due to some staff working across different areas of the nursery, this does not always fully support the youngest children in the nursery. For example, occasionally, babies struggle to settle as key persons are not consistently available.
• Transitions are well managed throughout the nursery. Children are familiar with routines, and staff use bells to signal transitions, such as 'tidy up time', to help manage expectations. As children progress through the nursery, settling-in sessions help them adjust to new rooms, with key information shared to support continued learning. Staff work closely with schools, sharing detailed information and inviting teaching staff to meet the children, ensuring a smooth transition when children move to school.
• Leaders have a good understanding of what children know and need to learn next, offering activities based on their interests. For instance, children strengthen their fingers by moulding play dough. While some staff effectively plan and deliver activities to meet children's unique learning needs, this practice is not always consistent. As a result, some learning opportunities are not fully tailored to the specific needs of children.
• Children enjoy a range of rhymes and songs, which helps them to build on their communication and language. Staff use story baskets filled with props and supporting resources. They read books in an exciting way, which engages children well, helping them to develop a love for books.
• The nursery works effectively with parents and carers to identify any emerging developmental concerns with children. Bespoke action plans are created to identify clear strategies to implement that fully support the needs of children. This helps children to close the gap in any developmental delay they have, giving them the best possible chance to progress well with their learning and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen key-person arrangements for babies to develop secure bonds to support their well-being
• support staff to consistently tailor learning opportunities to the specific needs of children.