The Lanes Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly in this nursery. They separate easily from their parents. This is because they have developed secure relationships with staff. Carefully planned activities are set out for them on arrival. Young children enjoy splatting the paint. They use dinosaurs to make footprints as staff encourage them to say simple words. Balls are rolled to them through the paint to make marks. Children show joy as they squeal with excitement. This helps to develop their speech and coordination. Older children develop their small-muscle skills. Staff teach them how to squeeze pipettes to fill them with water and help them mix and make their own play dough. Staff encourage children to make choices. Children follow their interests as staff support them to learn. This helps children develop confidence.

Children learn to behave well. When children make behavioural mistakes, staff teach them what they expect. Staff help children to learn how their actions affect others. Children learn to understand and regulate their emotions. This helps children to develop empathy and kindness. Children enjoy exploring the world around them, both indoors and outdoors. Staff encourage children to ask questions to find out more information. Staff skilfully listen to children. They support children's understanding and teach them information meaningful to their play. This helps children make connections and progress in their learning. Children learn to make healthy food choices. Staff teach children to slice fruit safely as they help to prepare snacks. They support children to serve their own meals and to try new foods. Children are encouraged to wash their hands to remove the germs before eating. This helps children learn to be independent.

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

• Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how children learn to speak. Young children are encouraged to make sounds. Staff copy the noises they make and use gestures to teach children how to communicate. Staff teach older children how to extend what they say. They teach children new vocabulary. This helps children to progress quickly in their communication skills. For example, children playing with aeroplanes listen to the staff. They teach children about 'airports,' 'passengers' and 'luggage'. Children work with staff to use their imagination to role play going on holiday.
• Staff teach children Maths. When staff have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn, children make rapid progress. For example, children enjoy exploring owls with numbers on them. Staff teach children to sequence the different numerals. They show them how to combine numbers to make higher digits, and children learn how to total the numbers. During this activity, children show high levels of fascination and focus. However, when staff are not clear on what each child needs to learn or try to teach too much at once, children lose concentration.
• Staff support children's physical development. Young children are encouraged to move and explore the world around them as they learn to walk. Older children learn to balance, climb and aim at targets when playing in the soft play area. Staff help them develop more intricate skills. Children learn to cut with scissors, spread glue and add sticky tape when making pictures from paper. They are confident when approaching these challenges and know to ask for help, should they need it.
• Managers reflect on ways to improve the nursery and consider the impact these have on children. They work hard to inform the parents about what children have been learning. The managers consider the curriculum and what children are learning. They help staff plan support for children to ensure children are prepared for the next stages of learning and school. However, the teaching around how to use technology safely is not yet fully embedded into the curriculum. This means staff are not always clear on how to support children to learn about this topic.
• Parents speak fondly of the nursery. They praise the staff for the support children receive to develop emotionally and make friends. Parents are aware of how to locate nursery information linked to helping their children's learning at home. Parents state they feel confident to speak to staff if there is a problem and know who their child's key person is.
• Children with additional needs are supported well by all staff. The staff and managers work well with outside agencies to support children's progress. For example, they lease with physiotherapists and speech and language teams. This joined-up work ensures children make progress quickly from their starting points. Staff adapt activities to include all children and spend time teaching children about similarities and differences. This helps children understand the wider world and the people in it.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop staff understanding about what they want children to learn during activities to help children stay focussed and learn more
• explore more ways of teaching children how to use technology safely.