The Nest

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop a sense of belonging at this welcoming and inclusive nursery. They demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning and have secure attachments with the kind and caring staff. Children eagerly join in with the wide range of activities and enjoy their time at the setting. They show high levels of engagement in activities of their own choosing, and grow in confidence to try new activities. For example, older children carefully take steps along low-level wooden beams as they gain control and confidence in their physical abilities. Younger children show curiosity and become immersed in their play as they scoop, pour and transfer water. All children are keen to show what they know and can do.

Children's behaviour is good. There is a calm atmosphere, with children positively engaged in their learning. Children gain an understanding of how their behaviour impacts on others. They learn to value everyone's contributions and to listen to one another. Children enjoy taking on additional responsibilities, such as helping to set the table at lunchtime and clearing up afterwards. This helps them to develop the skills they need for their next stage in learning, including starting school.

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

• The provider and her deputy have a strong vision for the nursery and are committed to providing high-quality care and education. They regularly reflect on practice and evaluate the nursery to ensure that the continuous improvements benefit children's learning. The management team monitors staff practice well and have a clear understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement. For example, they recognise that less-experienced staff require further support to help them build on their understanding of the curriculum and to sharply focus on the identified learning intentions for each child.
• Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. They know the children well and can confidently talk about their capabilities and interests. Overall, they plan a curriculum that provides children with a wide range of experiences and activities. For example, children benefit from well-organised group times. They listen to staff, and contribute by choosing their favourite songs and stories. Older children can recognise their names and understand mathematical concepts, such as 'more' or 'less'. Younger children join in eagerly with action songs and rhymes.
• Staff place a strong focus on developing children's communication and language skills. For example, they are skilled in modelling language, using open questions and narratives to extend children's language. This includes using sign language to support younger children's understanding of spoken words. Staff provide resources to bring stories to life and keep children interested. Older children use words such as 'absorbed' and 'evaporate' as they talk to staff about life cycles.
• All children have ample opportunities to engage in conversations, share their views and ideas and build on their vocabulary and communication skills.
• Children have opportunities to enjoy fresh air and learn outside. Staff provide a variety of challenging equipment and activities to support children's small-muscle skills in readiness for early writing. For example, younger children pick up small objects and paint using a variety of tools and materials. Older children take part in woodwork projects and work collaboratively together to solve problems. However, the outdoor curriculum does not yet fully support opportunities for the youngest children to develop their large-muscle skills to the highest level.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff share what children are doing and learning on a daily basis and through regular assessment updates. Parents are highly complimentary of the provider and staff. They are very happy with the progress that their children make at the nursery. Parents praise the care and the range of activities provided for their children. They say that they feel well informed about their child's achievements.
• Staff observe and assess children's progress regularly and take prompt action to help close any gaps in their learning. They support children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make rapid progress in their learning. Staff work well with other professionals and the additional settings that children attend. They invite specialist professionals to the nursery, such as a sing and sign teacher, to enhance children's experiences.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support less-experienced members of staff's understanding of the curriculum, to help them sharply focus on the identified learning intentions for each child
• enhance the curriculum offered in the outside area to increase the daily physical development opportunities available for younger children to develop their large-muscle skills.