The Little Sutton Club

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery full of enthusiasm for the day ahead. They are happy, confident and relaxed in this welcoming and vibrant environment. Warm relationships and close bonds are apparent between the children and staff. Staff provide children with lots of praise and encouragement. Children demonstrate high levels of confidence and self-esteem along with a 'can-do' attitude. They are eager to demonstrate a new dance routine to visitors. Children talk with enthusiasm about their home life and experiences. This helps children to learn about each other and the different cultures of their friends.

Staff have high expectations for children's learning. They provide children with rich, varied and imaginative experiences that promote children's curiosity and discussion. Staff extend children's knowledge as they play. For example, as children take part in a nature-inspired bookmark-making activity, staff extend children's knowledge as they teach them that flowers have petals, leaves and a stem. Staff ensure children have a good knowledge of the rules and boundaries of the nursery. Children are enthusiastic learners who enjoy their time in the nursery. All children make good progress from their starting points. Children are prepared well for their next stage of learning, including their eventual move into school.

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

• Leaders are passionate about their role. They are dedicated to ensuring all children have the best possible start in life. Leaders have devised a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. They provide staff with regular training opportunities to help to continually improve their knowledge and practice. Leaders ensure that additional government funding is used effectively to benefit those for whom it is intended.
• Staff make regular observations and assessments of children's learning. They use this information to provide a wide range of fun activities that motivate children to join in.
• Staff are good role models. They speak to children with respect and demonstrate good manners and kindness. Staff are consistent in their approach and speak to children in a calm and sensitive manner. Children behave well. They are polite to staff and each other. Children are kind and welcome others into their play.
• Staff teach children about healthy lifestyles. Children learn the importance of good oral health and a healthy diet. Children benefit from and thoroughly enjoy the morning exercise activity outdoors. They giggle as they jump, stretch and run on the spot. However, staff do not fully promote children's learning potential in the nursery's outdoor area, as activities are limited to physical play.
• Throughout the nursery, staff support children's mathematical development. For example, staff teach children to count and to recognise shapes and numbers.
• Children demonstrate their awareness of numbers as they recognise a total of objects without counting.
• Staff support children to develop their independence. They encourage children to do as much as they can for themselves. Children make choices about their play and when they want to eat their snack. Children in the two-year-olds' room learn to put on their coats. Pre-school children can manage their own personal care.
• Staff support children to become confident and effective communicators. Throughout the day, staff engage children in meaningful discussions. Children develop a love of books as they listen intently to stories and repeat familiar phrases. However, on occasions, staff interrupt children's learning unnecessarily. For example, as children engage in focused activities, they are called away to wash their hands in readiness for lunch. This means that during these times, children do not fully benefit from the educational experiences on offer.
• Staff provide children with opportunities to strengthen their small muscles in readiness for developing further skills, such as pencil control. Children have great fun as they manipulate dough as they push, squeeze, pat and roll it.
• Staff prioritise children's safety. They supervise children at all times. Accident forms are completed as required. Head counts are completed as children move around the nursery to ensure all children are accounted for.
• Parents speak very highly of the staff and the service they provide. They say their children look forward to attending. Parents comment on the good communication they receive about their children's learning. They say their children make good progress during their time in the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the outside area to provide a greater variety of rich and challenging experiences for children
• review the organisation of routines so that children's learning is not interrupted unnecessarily.