The Darlaston Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children relish their time in nursery and are eager to become involved in activities. This is because staff plan and provide exciting learning opportunities that capture children's interest. Children separate well from their parents. Staff take time to ensure that children feel safe and secure. They use information provided by parents to effectively plan for children's individual next steps in learning. Staff share the ambitious curriculum with parents to ensure that they understand what their child is learning and why. They provide ideas for continuing their child's learning at home.

Children learn independence from an early age. They learn to wash their hands, feed themselves and to put their coats on before going outside. Children excitedly wave different coloured scarves in the air, making large circles and zigzag shapes, moving from side to side. This helps them to develop good physical skills that help them prepare for their early writing skills. Children show high levels of concentration and dexterity. They use tongs to carefully pick up different coloured small plastic bears and place them into corresponding bowls. Children enjoy making handprints in the sand and compare the size of their own handprints to a member of staffs. This supports their developing awareness of size.

Children behave well. They learn about their emotions and feelings. Staff encourage children's awareness of respecting each other and the importance of sharing and taking turns during activities. Children's self-esteem and confidence blossoms through the praise and encouragement from staff, who recognise and celebrate children's efforts and achievements.

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

• Managers and staff strive to provide high-quality care for children and their families. Effective recruitment procedures mean that children are cared for by suitably qualified staff. Managers recognise the diverse skills within the team. They provide support and professional development to enable staff to continually build their knowledge and skills. Staff cascade their learning to the wider team and regularly share good practice. This means that staff's skills are continually evolving.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. Staff have high expectations for all children. They use information gained through their observations to swiftly identify potential gaps in learning. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals involved in children's lives. They ensure sharply focused development plans are effective in enabling children to make the best possible progress from their starting points. Children thoroughly enjoy sensory experiences. They enjoy painting their hands and use sponges to mix paints and bubbles together and make prints with the sponges.
• Staff plan an exciting range of activities to continually extend children's learning. Older children are building their vocabulary to use a broader range of words to describe size. When talking about dinosaurs they explain that they are huge, massive and enormous. Younger children delight in playing peekaboo. They listen as staff explain that they are hiding musical instruments and excitedly look for the drum. However, there are times when other distractions within the room impacts on children gaining the most from the activity.
• Children spend lots of time outdoors in the fresh air. They use wheeled toys to push and scoot around, building their large-hyphen added to large-muscle skills - see glossary,m muscle skills and developing coordination. Children enjoy the space to run around and crawl through tunnels. This supports their physical health.
• Parents are absolutely delighted with the service provided. They speak positively about the care and learning opportunities provided for their children. Parents feel that communication is really good and look forward to the daily updates and information they receive through the online application used by the nursery.
• The key-person system is firmly established. Staff know the children very well and relationships between children and staff are secure. Babies and younger children enjoy cuddles and reassurance when needed. Staff are mindful of visitors coming into the rooms and take time to make sure that children are okay. All children enjoy giving 'high fives,' especially in recognition of their good work. Older children involve staff and visiting adults in their play and enjoy talking to visitors all about nursery.
• Art plays a large role in the life of the nursery. Children take pride in their work, which is displayed for everyone to see. They complete observational drawings of toys, frogs and flowers and create abstract collages in recognition of friends they have had in nursery.
• Children's safety is a priority. Effective steps are followed to ensure that children play in a safe, clean and well-maintained environment and that all areas are suitable. Security measures are good. The majority of childcare staff hold paediatric first-aid certificates. Accidents are dealt with swiftly and parents informed. Children's dietary needs are well known and met effectively throughout the day.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• refine the organisation of group activities to minimise disruptions during planned activities in order for children to gain the most from their learning.