The Nest Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's emotional well-being is supported well by staff. Children attend settling-in sessions when they first start, to help them to become familiar with staff and the environment. Children who are slightly unsettled when they arrive are comforted. They sit on a member of staff's knee and receive cuddles of reassurance. This helps them to settle quickly. Children behave well and show kindness to their friends. When children arrive, they happily accept a supporting hand from their friends to join activities. Children play and learn in a safe environment. They are encouraged to hold on to a low-level banister to help promote their safety when they walk up and down stairs in the nursery.

Staff know the children well and plan experiences to help them progress in their learning. Children are encouraged to learn about nature. Younger children are guided to develop their understanding of spiders, for example through songs and books. With help from staff, older children look under logs in the garden. They are excited to find a worm and confidently show visitors what they find. Children are creative when they use water, herbs and flowers to make pretend potions.

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

• All children, including those who speak English as an additional language, are supported to develop their speaking skills. For example, staff repeat words and sentences children say in English. This helps children to hear the correct pronunciation. Parents comment on how well their children develop their speaking skills in the nursery.
• The manager supports staff to extend their professional development. Recent relevant training helps staff to secure their understanding of how to build on children's learning. For example, when children play with transport vehicles, staff provide experiences for them to run toy vehicles in foam. Children observe the marks they make, such as the tyre tracks.
• The manager and staff place a strong focus on providing a curriculum for outdoor learning. This is because they are aware that some children do not have these experiences at home. In the nursery garden, children have opportunities to be physically active, for example to climb on wooden crates. However, staff do not always think about ways to encourage the development of younger children's large-muscle skills indoors. For example, when one-year-old children show an interest in climbing and jumping on objects, staff do not always give them opportunities to extend these skills further.
• Staff encourage children to be independent. For example, they remind children to get tissues to wipe their own noses. Children wash their hands prior to eating, to promote hand hygiene routines.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to learn how to use different tools. For example, older children use safety knives, spoons, sticks and a mallet to cut and make holes in pumpkins safely. However, when children use these tools and equipment, staff do not fully reinforce children's understanding of why these need to be used appropriately.
• Mealtimes are sociable occasions, when staff sit and eat with the children. They talk to children about what they are eating and remind them to use cutlery. This encourages children's self-care skills.
• Staff actively encourage positive behaviour. For example, when children's wooden structures are accidently knocked down, staff encourage other children to help rebuild them. Staff model good manners, which children copy. This encourages children to be polite.
• The manager spends additional funding effectively to support children's development. For some children, this is to provide opportunities for them to learn about the local community and nature. For example, staff take children on bus rides into woodland for forest school sessions.
• The manager supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. She makes referrals to other professionals, to enable additional support to be put in place to meet children's individual needs. The manager works in partnership with parents to support children's learning, such as to develop their speaking skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise how to enhance opportunities for younger children to extend their large-muscle skills indoors
• help staff to support children to understand why they need to use tools and equipment appropriately.