The Mulberry Bush Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Throughout the nursery, there is a consistent and progressive approach to supporting children's language skills and understanding of a range of vocabulary. Practitioners skilfully use sign language to enhance their communications with children. For example, with older children, they make the signs for words they encounter when they read to them. Practitioners use signs to support understanding of words with younger children including, 'finished', ' more' and signs for actions. All children to progress well from their starting points.

Staff regularly use technology to engage children and further their understanding. They use a range of media including videos to help children to explore their interests, such as with trains.

Staff are attentive to the needs of children and show high levels of respect during their interactions. Children are relaxed and emotionally ready to play and learn. Staff ask children permission before they wipe children's noses and provide a clear narrative during nappy changing. When children need extra support for managing their emotions at key times of the day, staff use songs as a verbal cue for what is about to happen. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and teach key boundaries in each room. Children behave well.

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

• Leaders work closely with the various teams from the local authority to support children and make improvements to their education. They have recently modified their planning arrangements and are currently refining their curriculum.
• Leaders provide staff with regular supervisions and one-to-one appraisals. Staff training is high on their agenda and they plan frequent training opportunities. Recent training has supported staff who are new to working in a particular age group. Leaders complete occasional learning walks to review staff practice. However, they do not make full use of their monitoring arrangements to gain a thorough understanding about staff strengths and areas to develop.
• Leaders make effective use of funding to benefit the children it is intended for. This includes providing additional training for staff and using external provision, such as involving play therapists to support children's emotional needs.
• Parents speak positively about the service provided and share how their children love attending. They receive frequent written reports about their children including 'wow moments' and learning targets that are shared via the online app. Staff in the rooms know children well and provide daily opportunities for back- and-forth discussions about children during drop off and collection times. However, the current arrangements mean that parents do not benefit from regular opportunities to have conversations with their child's dedicated key person.
• Teaching is consistently strong across the nursery. Practitioners have a clear understanding of the curriculum focus for each room. They use their strong knowledge of child development to analyse their observations of children to design personalised learning programmes for each child. This ensures that all children are well-supported in making good progress and gaining the skills they need in readiness for school.
• Staff plan teaching interventions to support children who experience speech and language delay. They use a wide repertoire of strategies, including using objects alongside words, and exercises to support their mouth muscles. For example, staff specifically use pieces of fruit for children to bite on and opportunities to drink from an unlidded cup.
• Staff plan the learning environment so this reflects the seven areas of learning in ways that are developmentally appropriate in each room. Babies benefit from opportunities to gain control of their movements, such as travelling through and around furniture. They eagerly climb in and out of cardboard boxes. Older children concentrate and take turns as they carefully travel across stepping stones. Staff include play dough in the rooms to support children's hand strength. They teach toddlers how to roll balls with dough. Staff specifically give older children clay because it is harder to shape.
• Staff provide children with increasing opportunities to develop their sense of responsibility and make choices. Children gain confidence to manage their personal care needs. Staff recognise when they need to stand back so children can try things for themselves, such as managing their lunchtime routines. Older children choose whether they want to play indoors or outdoors and have free flow. All children show a can-do attitude and are engaged in their chosen play.
• Staff help children to develop their social interaction skills and plan games so children can play with their friends, learn to share and take turns. Toddlers show an interest in forming friendships and stand giggling in a group together.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• monitor teaching to precisely analyse current practice and identify strategic focus for development that continuously benefits children
• extend the partnership working with parents to provide continuity for them to have back and forth discussions with their child's key person.