The Hunnypot Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe in an environment that is tailored to meet their individual needs and keep them safe and secure. Staff ensure that they teach children important skills to be able to thrive and develop relationships. For example, staff support children to regulate their own emotions and behaviours. They use pictures and colours to represent feelings. Children point out how they feel, and staff support them accordingly. They learn to be kind and play alongside each other.

Staff are skilled at supporting children's language and communication skills. They support these skills from an early age. They comment on children's play and model new language. They model sentence structure by adding extra words when children use single words. Staff support children to develop a wide range of vocabulary and to become confident communicators.

Staff provide many opportunities for children to develop their fine motor skills. Children manipulate dough with their hands and fingers. They use scissors to cut the dough and become confident at using scissors. Children cut the dough into small shapes and say that they have made yellow and blue sweeties. They use their imagination as they say that the sweets are 'sour'. Staff have high expectations for all children. This helps children to develop their skills across all areas of learning.

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

• Managers have a thorough understanding and overview of the curriculum. They communicate clearly with staff about the expectations for how the curriculum should be delivered. This ensures that teaching meets children's individual needs.
• Staff help children to develop their knowledge of the wider world. They read books about polar bears that teach children simple facts. Children know that polar bears are large, that they are carnivores and what they like to eat. Children retain knowledge and show interest in what they are learning.
• Staff understand how children learn, and they know children well. This ensures that they can plan learning that sparks children's interests. They plan teaching that helps children achieve their next steps in learning and be well prepared for school. However, occasionally, staff do not provide enough opportunities for children to develop their critical thinking skills. This occasionally does not support children to think independently.
• Staff teach children what is expected of them. Children all help to tidy away their toys swiftly and with little help from staff. They all join together in a large group and do some physical exercise to wake up their bodies. Staff model the moves and children copy. Children sit in a circle for large-group time. Staff and children say good morning to each other. Children follow routines and learn valuable social skills.
• The key-person system is effective and ensures that staff build positive relationships with children and parents. This ensures that all those involved in children's learning fully understand their needs and can support them to develop new skills and knowledge.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. They have their individual needs met by skilled staff and a knowledgeable manager. The manager works in regular partnership with external agencies and parents to ensure that children receive very tailored and appropriate support. This helps them to make progress alongside their peers. Children with SEND who attend the setting are happy, engaged and safe.
• Partnership with parents is very strong. Parents feel well informed about their child's learning and development. They know what their child's next steps are. Staff provide information and support about how parents can support their child's learning at home. This helps children to make even further progress.
• Leaders and managers know the strengths and weaknesses of the setting and have taken many steps since the last inspection to make improvements. This includes providing staff training to improve their safeguarding knowledge.
• Performance management systems are effective and have identified strengths of practice across the team. Managers have started to think about how they can share these strengths across the team. However, performance management systems are not yet ensuring a clear focus on specific teaching skills and consistency of practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more opportunities for children to practise their critical thinking skills
• strengthen performance management processes to ensure a greater focus on specific teaching skills and consistency of teaching.