The Counting House Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Happy children are well supported by caring and nurturing staff at this nursery. Children warmly introduce themselves to the inspector and invite them to join in play in the role-play hairdressing salon. Furthermore, when one child notices another is alone, they quickly suggest they come and join them in playing with dough. This helps all children to feel welcomed and form great friendships. Staff act as positive role models in modelling good manners and respectful behaviour. For example, they talk to children about making things 'fair' as they share out resources. This helps to set clear expectations and promote children's positive behaviour.

Children benefit from a range of activities to develop important life skills. For example, they make sandwiches for mealtimes. They take responsibility for small tasks, such as managing their self-care needs, dispensing their own drinks and caring for the nursery pet snail. Children undertake small challenges in preparation for school, such as practising putting on their own coats and shoes. This helps to develop children's independence. Children take part in fundraising and learn about people and families who are different to themselves. This helps to instil important life values, such as respect and kindness for others.

The management team's dedication to ensuring that all children can access the curriculum is admirable. They work tirelessly to overcome any barriers to learning for children. This creates an inclusive environment. Children who need extra help are very well supported. For instance, staff work well with wider professionals and quickly implement targeted plans for children. The nursery promotes a real culture of helping all children to achieve. This helps children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress.

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

• The curriculum covers all areas of learning, and children receive a well-rounded educational programme. Children make good progress and are well prepared for moving on to school. Activities are planned based on children's interests. This helps them to be engaged and show high levels of concentration and fascination. However, staff do not yet fully use what is known about children to plan even more precisely for every child, to continually build on and extend their learning further.
• Children develop a love of reading. They learn to look after books properly in the outdoor role-play shed, while it is transformed into a library. Children access a range of texts and books, such as magazines and catalogues. For example, they look in encyclopaedias to find out about animals around the world as part of their 'new experience' learning. This helps to give children a firm foundation for developing early literacy skills.
• Children have lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills. They delight as they dance to music and enjoy animal yoga. Children skilfully ride wheeled vehicles in the well-resourced outdoor area, showing great control and coordination. Indoors, children develop their small-muscle skills by rolling and squeezing dough as they make pretend pizzas. They show perseverance as they carefully cut paper with scissors. This helps children to develop confidence and strength in their physical development.
• Children learn how to lead a healthy lifestyle and keep themselves safe. Staff teach the importance of staying hydrated and apply sun cream to promote children's well-being while playing outdoors. Health and safety protocols are well implemented in hot weather. Children look at their teeth in mirrors and learn about oral hygiene. They know that they must wash their hands to get rid of any germs and do this independently.
• Parents talk fondly about how children love their time here. They praise the team for the support it gives children to settle at the nursery. Parents are kept well informed about their children's development and recognise the progress they make. For example, they receive information online and attend regular parents' evenings. Initiatives, such as home-learning bags and parent stay-and-play sessions, are in place to further develop parent partnerships.
• The ambitious and dedicated manager works hard to develop the nursery's offer through comprehensive action plans. Parents are invited to share feedback, and this is quickly acted on. Leaders regularly observe teaching and suggest ways in which this can be developed further. Staff who are new to their roles are given training and a 'buddy' for mentoring and guidance. They say that they enjoy working here and report high levels of well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• use what is known about children to plan even more precisely for every child, to continually build on and extend their learning further.