The Learning Experience Leatherhead

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at this welcoming nursery. Staff are warm, nurturing and understand the importance of promoting children's emotional well-being. This is reflected in the relationships children have with staff and how successfully new children are supported to settle. Children demonstrate trust in those that care for them and are happy and comfortable in the staff and each other's company. Their personal, social and emotional development are supported well.

Children gravitate towards a range of thoughtfully planned activities and play experiences. The environment is well-thought-out and considers children's individual curiosities and interests. This enables children to be motivated in their play and learning. Staff build on children's skills by providing them with appropriate next steps as they expand their knowledge. For instance, children enjoy activities set around current learning, such as the weather. They use their creative imaginations to design individual umbrellas. Staff talk to children about umbrellas being multi-purposeful as they protect them from rain but also provide shade in hot weather. Children listen intently and share their own thoughts and ideas. These back-and-forth discussions effectively support children's communication and language skills.

Staff are positive role models and have high expectations of children's behaviour. Consequently, all children are well-supported as they begin to learn right from wrong. In addition, staff offer ample praise and encouragement as children are provided with challenge in their learning. As a result, children are well-supported to strengthen their resilience as they persist and achieve new skills.

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

• Leaders take prompt action to strengthen the procedures in place following any incidents. For example, they have improved arrangements to support children who may have allergies and intolerances. This includes reviewing risk assessments and providing appropriate training to staff to ensure processes are consistently adhered to.
• Leaders, alongside their staff team, have a clear and ambitious vision of what they want children to achieve. They plan and deliver a well-thought-out curriculum. Staff provide meaningful experiences across all seven areas of learning. This helps ensure children have access to a broad curriculum. Staff know what skills children have learned, what they want to teach them next and why. This prepares children for future success.
• Staff promote a love of books by reading to children in a way that captures their attention. Children listen to the stories with increasing interest. They have access to a wide range of books and will look at them independently. Children handle books with care and respect and are learning that print carries meaning. This supports their emerging literacy skills.
• Although key person arrangements are in place, they are inconsistent. For instance, there is a buddy key person system. However, this is not fully effective in practice. Processes in place to ensure important information is shared between staff are not always fully effective. Nevertheless, staff make good use of their time to get to know children and to create positive relationships.
• Children have an abundance of opportunities to develop their physical skills. Babies have access to an enabling environment that is carefully planned by staff to support their early movements. Older children delight in climbing, negotiating space and balancing. This supports children's core muscle development. In addition, they have opportunities to develop their fine motor skills in a variety of ways. For instance, children excitedly explore play dough and use chunky crayons to make marks. These activities support children's small muscle development and dexterity in preparation for early writing.
• On the whole, the provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Children have detailed targeted plans in place and support is swiftly identified. However, leaders do not always recognise that some aspects of the daily routine do not always meet individual children's needs, including those with SEND. Despite this, children with SEND are making good progress in their learning.
• Leaders and staff recognise the importance of parental partnerships. They continually seek ways to ensure parents are kept up to date with children's learning. Parents speak positively about theirs and their children's experience at the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the consistency of key person arrangements for children and ensure all information is shared effectively between staff
• improve aspects of the daily routine to ensure the needs of all children, including those with SEND have their needs consistently met.