The Little Ripley Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Babies are new to the setting and are in the process of settling in and building relationships with key adults. Younger, older and pre-school children all arrive happy and confident. All staff work hard to build relationships and are kind and attentive to the children's wants and needs. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Babies like playing in the garden. They enjoy the fresh soothing air, the push-along toys and the bicycles. They delight in pushing them forwards and backward, along with trying to climb on and get off them. This supports their core strength, large-muscle and physical skills.

Younger children have fun at a tea party activity. They pretend to make cups of tea and serve food. Older children take pleasure in playing with the small-world toys as they pretend to speak on a telephone. They also delight in practising walking up and down steps. This supports their communication, language, imagination and coordination. Pre-school children keenly join in with a group-time activity. They listen carefully to an adult describing objects and take turns guessing it. They also like to rhyme and sing songs. This supports their listening, vocabulary and early literacy skills.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and children behave well. They show positive attitudes towards their learning, make good progress and are ready for their next stages in learning.

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

• The learning coordinator has designed an ambitious and clearly sequenced curriculum, with the intention of supporting all children to learn through the stages they need to make good progress. However, not all staff, particularly those working with younger children, have fully developed the skills and knowledge they need to ensure it is embedded across the whole nursery.
• Staff work with parents to gather detailed information when children first arrive. They use this information to ascertain if there are any gaps in learning and then plan activities that build upon what children already know and can do.
• The manager ensures communication, language and literacy are well supported across the whole nursery. Staff model good language, provide language-rich activities and incisively know when to sit back, ask questions and skilfully involve children in interesting conversations. Children also have access to a variety of books and have the opportunity to choose one to take home.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. The setting has strong links with outside agencies and works closely with parents to make swift referrals to ensure all children make the best possible progress they can.
• Children are well supported to make individual choices. They have access to a range of rich, varied and stimulating toys and resources. Children immerse themselves in the exciting environment. They like confidently choosing what they want to play with and do. Self-help and independence skills are well promoted and are supported throughout everything children do.
• The manager and the learning coordinator work closely to support staff and show a good commitment to the professional development of their team. Staff all report they feel well supported and have access to a range of courses online. However, the manager and other leaders do not yet closely monitor practice in the new baby room, to ensure all adults working with the youngest children have the appropriate knowledge and skills to support babies to make the best possible progress.
• Parents are impressed with how well the manager and staff know their children. They report that the manager is approachable and the staff are knowledgeable. Their children look forward to attending and have made good progress since starting. Parents also report the setting prepares children extremely well for their move to school.
• Children are provided with nutritious healthy meals. Staff teach children about the importance of healthy foods and living a healthy lifestyle.
• The setting fosters a culture of equality. Children learn about similarities, differences and diversity through trips out, learning about various festivals and trying different foods.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• use observation and assessment to identify more sharply-focused plans to prepare children for their next stages in learning which help them make the best possible progress
• improve the arrangements for the supervision and monitoring of staff in the youngest children's room to raise the quality of practice.