The Futures Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop close bonds with their key persons and settle well on arrival. They show that they are happy as they engage eagerly in play and enjoy sharing experiences with staff and their peers. Children behave well and demonstrate an understanding of behavioural expectations at the setting.

Older children demonstrate an understanding of mathematical language, such as 'heavy' and 'light'. During play they transport a sieve filled with sand, and comment that it is heavy. Toddlers learn to take care of their personal needs. They fetch a tissue, look in the mirror and clean their face. They learn to get their shoes on for outdoor play. Babies develop coordination and control, for example they learn to climb a small slope. Staff supervise them well during these activities to ensure that they are safe.

Leaders, managers and staff know the children well and plan a curriculum that aims to close gaps in children's learning. All children including those who need additional support make good progress from their starting points. Parents of children who speak English as an additional language express their view that staff support their children well to build on their communication skills.

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

• Leaders and managers reflect well on their practice to review and address any weaknesses and to continually improve outcomes for children. They have improved recruitment processes to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.
• Managers have regular meetings with staff to identify and plan for any training needs, and they support staff well-being. For instance, they involve staff in decisions relating to their working hours and they plan ways to support their work-life balance.
• Staff carry out regular assessments of children's progress to identify areas in which individual children need further support. They work closely with parents and take necessary steps to seek professional advice for children with special educational needs. Children benefit from a curriculum that meets their individual learning needs.
• Partnerships with parents and professionals are strong. Key persons meet regularly with parents and share information regarding children's progress. They work closely with schools to ensure a smooth transfer for older children.
• Staff use opportunities, such as book reading activities, to encourage older children's contribution to discussions. They read a book to children about feelings and emotions, and ask children questions to stimulate their response. Children say that being 'happy' is a good feeling and being 'scared' is a bad feeling. Children learn to use vocabulary in context to communicate their thoughts and ideas.
• Staff introduce older children to the life cycle of living beings and help them learn to care for them. These activities help children to learn about the natural world.
• Children develop their early understanding of what makes them unique. For instance, staff use pictures of children's families to encourage discussions regarding children's backgrounds and the countries their families come from.
• Staff provide healthy meals for children and encourage good hand washing routines. However, on some occasions staff in the baby room do not plan some activities well enough to continually support children's early understanding of hygiene practices.
• Staff teach children to share and take turns during play. Children are happy to help their peers; for example, older children show younger children how to bounce a small ball to make the lights glow.
• Staff provide regular opportunities for children to play outdoors. Toddlers and older children explore the smells of fresh herbs. They enjoy giving baby dolls a bath, and learn to scoop water and wash the baby dolls. Children are motivated to be physically active.
• Younger children are eager to engage in mark-making activities. They learn to make prints on paper with paint. Older children learn to draw pictures using their imagination. However, at times, staff do not provide clear guidance for older children to learn to hold equipment such as pencils effectively, to enhance their mark-making skills further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff skills, particularly in the baby room, to consistently promote children's early understanding of hygiene practices
• consider ways to enhance older children's mark-making skills.