The Co-operative Childcare Hounslow

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe attending this nursery. The caring and kind staff build warm relationships with the children. They prioritise the well-being of the children and ensure that they are happy and settled. On the rare occasions that children are feeling sad, staff skilfully distract them with their favourite activity, or offer them a cuddle to reassure them.

Staff support children to behave well, by calmly and consistently reminding them of the behaviour expectations. They offer warm praise when children show positive behaviours. Staff ensure that children understand the well-embedded routines. They use songs to remind children of the routine, such as singing as the children wash their hands. Staff clearly explain to the children what will happen next during the day. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

Staff have high expectations of what children should achieve while at nursery. For example, they carefully consider how to support children to develop their independence and self-care skills. Children learn to self-serve their food and pour their own water. 'Helpers of the day' proudly help staff to set the table for lunch. Learning self-care skills such as these helps children to prepare for the next stage of their learning.

Staff know their key children well and have a good understanding of the progress they have made and the next steps in their learning. They carefully plan opportunities to help children to achieve these next steps, so that children make good progress in their learning.

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

• Staff support children to make progress in their communication and language. They get down to children's level and narrate as they play with them, supporting children to use new language. For example, staff repeat the word 'pour' as babies play with water, or talk about what children are eating at lunchtime. Staff read lots of stories with children and give them many opportunities to look at books. This helps children to make progress in their language development and to develop a love of books. However, staff do not always use a wide variety of ambitious vocabulary with the children. On these occasions, this does not support children to build their vocabulary.
• Staff talk to children about their emotions to help them to express how they are feeling. For example, while talking about 'The Colour Monster' book, staff help children to talk about times when they have experienced the emotions that they are reading about in the book. This supports children to develop their understanding of their emotions.
• Staff support children to make good progress in their physical development. Children use a wide variety of mark-making materials, and squeeze and roll play dough to strengthen the muscles in their hands. They develop their hand-eye coordination as they pour water or transfer flour from one pot to another. Children strengthen their core muscles as they push wheelbarrows. They develop their balance as they travel along beams and tyres.
• Leaders prioritise staff well-being. They carefully consider how to show their staff how valued they are, through initiatives such as regular pamper days and an annual practitioner day to celebrate staff. This helps staff to understand how important the job that they do is.
• Leaders have a strong focus on ensuring that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. They identify children who may need extra support early. Leaders work with staff to implement strategies to help children make progress towards their individual learning targets. They work closely with the local authority and other professionals to ensure that children get the support that they need.
• Leaders are reflective and work hard to make continuous improvements to the setting. They effectively identify gaps in staff knowledge and practice. They then provide targeted supervision and training to support staff to improve in these identified areas. This leads to good outcomes for children.
• Leaders work hard to build strong parent partnerships. They communicate effectively with parents, so that parents understand the progress that their children are making. Leaders seek the views of parents, and implement feedback received where relevant. They plan regular opportunities for parents to participate in nursery events, such as a recent parents' afternoon tea. This helps parents to feel part of the nursery community.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently use a rich and varied range of vocabulary with the children, to help children build a wider range of vocabulary.