The Broadwaters Children's Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this nurturing and enriching nursery. They make exceptional progress from their starting points and staff celebrate children's uniqueness. Highly qualified staff create an inspirational curriculum for children based around their interests, needs and personalities. They prioritise communication, language, and social skills through a wealth of activities. For example, young children and babies enjoy singing songs with staff members, choosing pictorial cards from a box that represent their favourite songs. They learn signs that relate to the songs they sing. Young children confidently hum the songs they know throughout the day during play.

Children's behaviour is meticulous. They always demonstrate kindness towards others, such as helping their peers find the missing toys. Staff teach children to respect one another. They develop excellent opportunities for children to talk about their feelings and emotions and build their emotional resilience. Children learn ways to deal with their feelings. They demonstrate a highly positive attitude to learning, consistently persevering at tasks until achieved. For example, toddlers work out how to climb onto a balancing beam and walk across it without falling off. They then celebrate with staff as they chant, 'I did it, I did it!'.

Staff embed children's learning through activities that capture their curiosity and interest. For instance, children make dough faces using coloured matchsticks, coloured wool, pipe cleaners and googly eyes. They creatively stick coloured wool, to represent their own hair. Staff use this opportunity to weave a love for early reading, as they look through a book on emotions and facial expressions, and talk about facial features and various emotions children may experience.

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

• A rich, bespoke and well-sequenced curriculum continuously builds on children's prior experiences. Children's knowledge of the world is expanded through teaching about different environments, climates and conservation. Managers ensure that plans precisely reflect individual interests and teach them the knowledge and skills they need to learn next. Staff encourage children to use their ever-growing knowledge in different situations. For example, babies and young children show fascination when playing with water. Babies are introduced to simple counting as they play and are beginning to use some mathematical language, for example using the word 'more' when the container of water is empty.
• The passionate and dedicated co-managers provide a thorough programme of professional development. They analyse staff's understanding, alongside children's outcomes, to plan relevant training for all. For example, many staff have completed training on teaching Makaton sign language. Babies and young children sign as they begin to speak. This significantly enhances their communication skills. They are able to let staff know what they want, and learn vocabulary rapidly. Staff, enthused by training, talk passionately about teaching and learning.
• Staff have built excellent relationships with the local community. The nursery staff have worked exceptionally hard to provide support for all families. Parents and professionals describe the immensely positive impact that attending nursery has on children. Staff work with a host of professionals to create highly effective partnerships and strong community spirit. Staff plan targeted interventions and detail the help that children with complex needs will need at school. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make excellent progress.
• Parents treasure the guidance they receive. They say the nursery's efforts to communicate and involve parents in every step of their child's learning are commendable. Staff talk to parents about children's health and well-being. They discuss the progress children are making. This helps to precisely target teaching and prepare children for their next stage of learning.
• All children build very secure attachments with staff. The key persons carry out home visits to support children settling and to swiftly identify any learning needs. Young babies settle in extremely well. Staff are nurturing, kind and sensitive. When babies become restless, staff gently introduce them back into their play. Older children really enjoy the company of staff, and laugh and have fun with them. Children are kind, caring and self-sufficient. They help each other and share exceptionally well.
• Staff support children to develop a strong understanding of healthy lifestyles effectively. This includes discussions and activities focused on oral hygiene. Children eat nutritious, balanced meals and can identify types of healthy foods. For instance, during role play, children pretend to make meals for staff and name vegetables that are healthy for their teeth and body.