The Column Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children attending this nursery receive love and warmth from the team of dedicated staff. Children are warmly greeted and settle quickly. They develop strong attachments to their key person and other staff, which helps them to feel safe. Children behave very well. There is a calm and supportive ethos within the nursery. Staff support children to understand their feelings and give them time to follow instructions and make choices. Staff are positive role models. They consistently demonstrate good manners and kindness to others.

Staff get to know children and their families very well. They use information about children's experiences at home to extend their learning in nursery. Children learn about life in Spain through discussions about children's recent holidays. Staff teach children about the national flowers, animals and birds. Young children are proud to share their knowledge of Spanish bulls and flowers. Staff understand that repetition helps children to remember their new learning. They have high expectations for every child. Children take part in weekly dance lessons with the experienced staff. They learn the names of ballet moves as they practise new skills. This helps to broaden their vocabulary. Children follow instructions well and concentrate for extended periods.

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

• Children engage in a rich and varied curriculum that introduces them to new experiences. Children learn about chicks that visit their nursery. They remember and talk about the colour and number of chicks. Children take part in weekly French lessons, with a dedicated visit from a French tutor. They learn how to count in French. Staff reinforce this by counting together during circle time sessions.
• Staff use observation and assessments to build on children's interests and begin to extend their learning. For example, children enjoy looking through the window and watching the birds as they visit the feeders that they have in the garden. Staff display images of different birds in the window and children look through a book to identify the birds that they see. Children are excited when they identify robins and blackbirds.
• Communication and language development is well supported. Staff value the importance of literature in children's development. They teach children how to look after books. Staff plan a story of the week and read it with the children daily. Children get to know the rhythm of the story and begin to recite the words. They learn about the meaning of print and show curiosity about print in the environment.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Staff work closely with parents and other agencies to enhance their experiences. Speech and language therapists share strategies with staff, which are then used to support children's communication skills. All children make good progress with the support of the nurturing staff.
• Staff are attentive to children's individual care needs. Staff support children's individual sleep routines and cater for their dietary requirements. Staff share information with the nursery cook to ensure that children receive a healthy, varied menu that meets their needs. Children develop good self-help skills, such as feeding themselves and putting on their own slippers. This helps them to be independent and prepares them for the next stage in their education.
• Managers support staff well-being. Staff feel confident to talk to managers, who listen and are supportive. Managers support staff's interest in furthering their professional development. Managers regularly observe the practice of staff and give feedback on their strengths. However, managers do not yet make the best use of supervision to identify specific targets that are unique to individual staff. This sometimes limits the potential for staff to continually build on their teaching skills.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Managers are passionate about creating positive relationships with families to enhance experiences for children. Managers send out regular newsletters, where they share information about children's learning and provide advice to parents. This gives parents ideas about how they can support their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the feedback staff receive during supervision meetings to ensure they benefit from focused, individual targets that help elevate their already good teaching skills to an even higher level.