The Nest @NCEA Trust

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The kind and gentle staff provide a nurturing environment, where children feel safe and secure. Settling- in procedures help children to make a smooth transition from home into the nursery. Children have very good bonds with key staff. They confidently approach them for support and 'check in' with them when they are feeling unsure. This supports their well-being. Staff are very attentive to their learning needs and interests and plan exciting, interesting activities for them. Staff join in with their play when appropriate, getting down to their level and ensuring everyone is included. Children are engaged in their learning.

Staff plan many outings into the local community. They visit local parks and the beach. They visit the local shops, so that children learn about where they are. During walks, staff talk to children about what they can see. For example, children recall leaves falling from the trees and landing on them.

Children's behaviour is good. Children receive age-appropriate guidance and support to help them begin to understand the behaviour expected. They learn to follow staff's directions, such as to help to tidy the toys away. There is a lovely calm atmosphere in the nursery.

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

• An inspirational leadership team leads the nursery. They have a well-thoughtout curriculum. This helps staff to plan effectively for children. Key persons regularly assess children's development and identify next steps. Activities are planned that enable children to build on what they already know and can do. Activities are repeated, so that staff can test children's knowledge and understanding before moving on to the next step. This builds a firm foundation for children's learning.
• Staff are passionate about instilling a love of reading in all children. They use a story of the week that children become deeply engaged in. A wide variety of props, such as pictures from the story or stuffed characters, encourages children to recall the story and to tell it in their own way. This helps children to develop their own literacy skills.
• Staff talk to children as they play. They introduce words that help children to build a wide vocabulary. For example, children explore the different textures of pumpkins. Staff ask them what it feels like and use words, such as 'slimy', to help them express themselves. Staff use a lot of repetitive language in all that they do. This helps children to hear the correct way to say the words.
• Staff use number in everyday activities. Numbers are displayed on the wall and staff guide children to count them in the correct order. In the garden, staff encourage children to count how many steps they take to climb over a frame. They introduce children to size language, such as describing how big the tree is in the garden.
• Partnership with parents is promoted strongly. Staff involve parents in their children's development. They share information about the progress they make or whether they need help in certain areas. When they assess children's progress termly, they share this and next steps with parents, so that they can continue children's learning at home. Parents are very complimentary about the nursery and staff. They make comments such as 'it is a home from home' for children. They like that it is a small group.
• The leadership team know the setting well and can identify its strengths as well as any areas for development. Action plans are in place, such as further development of the garden, so that children can access the outdoors in all weathers.
• Staff speak positively about how leaders support their well-being. Annual appraisals help leaders to assess how staff are doing. Staff are all set three objectives to meet before the next meeting. This is to help staff to focus on raising their knowledge and understanding. For example, they do a research topic each and then feed back to the wider group. Subjects such as looking at how engaged children are in activities, are they actually learning or just looking busy, help staff to focus on the quality of what they offer.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• implement plans to build further on the access that children have to outdoor play, so that they are able to access outdoors in all weathers.