The Folly Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly greeted by staff as they arrive at the welcoming setting. Babies share close and nurturing relationships with their key person as they give them their milk and prepare them for their nap. All children feel safe and secure and are confident to ask for help when needed. Staff have high expectations for behaviour and children behave well. Children learn about feelings and how to name them. This helps them learn to manage their emotions.

Children demonstrate high levels of curiosity and engagement as they play with the exciting activities on offer. Toddlers enjoy learning about farm animals and the noise they make while older children learn to develop their counting skills by ordering and recognising numbers. The ambitious curriculum is carefully planned to ensure there are high aspirations for all children, regardless of their starting point. Staff identify if a child may have additional needs from the outset and carefully work in partnership with families and external agencies to support the child to reach their full potential. All children make good progress in their learning and development.

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

• Leaders and staff have effective assessment practices in place. They carefully observe and interact with children to identify their next steps in learning and find out about their current interests. Staff then adapt their teaching and the environment to enable children to progress in their learning. For example, equipment is provided to help babies progress in their physical development. Staff know children very well and children are very happy and content at the setting.
• Parents report very positively about the setting. They say they are well informed about their child's day and their overall progress. Parents comment that the setting is very inclusive and that the environment provided for the children is 'fabulous'. Parents say that they would recommend the setting.
• Staff use stories and songs effectively throughout the setting. Children delight in 'sing and sign' time, as they sing along to well-known nursery rhymes and enthusiastically join in with the actions. Staff converse with children very well and engage in meaningful back-and-forth interactions. However, some staff do not consistently use precise vocabulary to help babies' and toddlers learn some key words accurately to support their communication skills further.
• Older children are well prepared for starting school. They learn to develop their independence skills, for example by laying the table and serving themselves lunch. Children learn to develop their early writing skills and more able children begin to recognise the sounds letters make. However, some staff mispronounce some letter sounds when supporting these children to sound words out, and children become confused.
• Children show delight as they play with the activities provided by the forest-school programme. For instance, they enthusiastically use binoculars to look for birds and pretend to make cakes in the mud kitchen. Staff carefully teach children about risks and how to be safe as they play in the area. For example, children work with adults on a one-to-one basis as they learn how to use a variety of tools, such as a hammer.
• Leaders have a very aspirational vision for the setting and are highly committed to continual improvement of the environment and staff practice. They are passionate about providing continued professional development for all staff as well as promoting their well-being. Staff report high levels of support and enjoyment in their role.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consistently use precise vocabulary to help babies and toddlers learn key words accurately to support their communication skills further
• adapt teaching to help children hear and say letter sounds accurately, particularly for the most able children, in preparation for their early reading and writing skills.