The Little Bambinos Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and they are eager to start their busy day. They separate from their parents and carers with ease and confidently wave them goodbye when they are greeted by staff. Staff are friendly and welcoming and children are clearly happy to see them. Children are confident and staff support children's independence in finding resources and deciding where they would like to play. Some children are eager to start playing whereas others enjoy sitting with staff to have their breakfast. Children build strong attachments with all of the staff, who are very responsive to children's needs and interests. Staff are knowledgeable and they have a good understanding of children's development and learning needs.

Leaders and staff have a clear vision for the nursery, they plan their curriculum around children's interests to engage them in learning. Older children learn to be independent. Staff encourage children to put their coats and boots on as they prepare to play outside. Children are eager to help staff to sweep away the puddles so they can use the equipment in the garden. Children have a clear understanding of the behaviour expectations in place, they learn to share and take turns with the resources and all children take part in tidying away the toys.

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

• Leaders and staff work well as a team, they carefully reflect on their practice, to enable them to develop the service they are providing. Leaders place a high focus on developing the skills and knowledge of their staff team to meet children's specific needs. For instance, staff have recently had emotions training to help them to support children who struggle with managing their emotions. Staff reflect positively on the support given to them and they say that they feel valued as a team.
• Partnerships with parents are effective and well established. Staff work closely with parents to get to know children and to help children to settle. Children enjoy exploring but also check in with the adults who care for them and enjoy cuddles when they need comfort. The nurture that children receive helps them to feel safe and secure.
• Leaders and staff follow good procedures to closely monitor children's progress. Staff understand children development needs and recognise where children have gaps in their progress. Overall, children access a curriculum that follows their interests and builds on what they already know and can do. However, staff do not always consider what skills the younger children need to learn to target their teaching more precisely.
• Overall staff support children's language and communication skills well, they role model language, join in with children's play and talk to children as they play imaginatively. However, due to the organisation of some group activities older children struggle to listen and be involved as the younger children distract them.
• Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good support. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) work closely with children's parents and other professionals to ensure that children's needs are met. The SENCo and leaders ensure that they use additional funding well to meet children's needs and to target support effectively.
• Children benefit from lots of opportunities to have fresh air and exercise. They enjoy playing outside in the garden where staff allow them to explore freely. Children enjoy using the ride on toys to ride up and down the ramps, they climb and practice jumping with the support of staff. Children enjoy exploring different textures as they play with the mud and staff use their interests to introduce mathematical concepts. For example, staff encourage children to measure how long the worms are that they find in the garden.
• Staff have a good understanding of their responsibilities to keep children safe. They risk assess the environment and monitor children's well-being. Staff remind children to take care as they run. However, staff do not consistently explain to why children need to be careful or why they must not run. Therefore, children do not learn how to keep themselves safe as they play. For instance, when they spill sand on the floor or when they are riding the bicycles in the garden.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to develop the implementation of the curriculum to target teaching for younger children more precisely
• develop the organisation of group activities to maximise children's involvement, concentration and focus
• help children to learn how to identify risks so that they can keep themselves safe.