The Family Tree Childrens' Day Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The nursery is very well embedded into the local community. Leaders and staff take great pride in the positive relationships they have with the families who attend. Children directly benefit from the open communication that takes place between home and nursery. Parents and carers enthuse about the support their children receive. They say the nursery has helped their children make good progress in their development and that staff are approachable and supportive.

The nursery provides an aspirational curriculum for all children and maintains a focus on ensuring that children are socially and emotionally ready for the transition to school when the time comes. The carefully planned environment promotes high levels of focus and engagement. As a result, children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning, and they are calm and purposeful in their play. Staff closely monitor children's development and use this information to ensure that every child makes good progress in their learning and development.

The nursery plays an active role in supporting the community. For instance, it provides a discrete foodbank which families can access as and when needed. This helps to support children with their nutritional needs, which in turn supports their ability to focus and concentrate when at nursery.

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

• Staff and leaders know the children very well. Their knowledge of children's family contexts supports how they help children to settle into nursery, particularly when they first arrive. Staff ensure that the needs of individuals are met and that children feel safe and secure when they are in the nursery.
• Leaders and staff promote children's independence in this nursery. They provide opportunities for children to practise and refine self-care skills, such as using cutlery and feeding themselves at mealtimes. Children show pride when they manage to do this successfully.
• Leaders have a clear understanding of what it is they want children to learn in the nursery. However, learning intentions are not always well enough understood by all staff. At times, this limits the progress children make during adult-led activities.
• Staff have high expectations of behaviour in this nursery and focus on teaching children how to use good manners and how to play and interact positively. Children happily follow the daily routines, such as lining up to come inside and sitting down with their friends to share a meal. This prepares them well for the transition to school.
• Staff provide an environment that supports children to persevere with their self-chosen tasks for extended periods. For instance, babies concentrate on pushing vehicles along a track, developing their control and coordination skills. Toddlers spend time exploring sand and developing their understanding of counting through scooping and pouring. Pre-schoolers focus deeply on holding writing tools to make clear marks, preparing them for writing when they move to school.
• Staff model speech very well and provide a language-rich environment. For instance, staff in the baby room ask babies if they are 'feeling nice and refreshed' after they have had a long drink of water. Staff take the time to respond warmly when children talk about their home life and personal experiences. This supports children to feel that their voices are heard and that they are important and valued by staff.
• Communication and language skills are a priority here, and as a result, leaders have created a sensory room where staff can spend quality time with children, focusing on developing children's interaction skills. However, there are some occasions where the strategies to support communication are limited and not used consistently. This slows the progress that some children make in their communication development.
• Leaders are passionate about the success of the nursery. They continuously reflect on the current strengths as well as the areas to develop further. Staff say they are very well supported and that this is an enjoyable place to work.
• Provision for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is very effective. Staff are proactive in engaging with parents when concerns about children's development are identified. Staff work well with a range of outside agencies to ensure that children with SEND receive appropriate support that helps them to make good progress. Families say that the support provided by the nursery has had a very positive impact on their children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further support staff's understanding of the curriculum so that planned learning intentions are well embedded into their everyday interactions with children
• develop strategies to further support children's emerging communication and language skills.