The Nest Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff promote children's positive attitudes to learning. They build on the information gathered from parents when children first start. This helps them to plan for the children's learning from the outset to precisely meet the children's individual needs and interests. Children are happy and confident in this welcoming nursery. Staff are kind, respectful and nurturing to all children in their care. Babies form close bonds with them and enjoy frequent cuddles. Older children enjoy dinosaur hunts and trips to the park.

Children learn the skills and attitudes they need in readiness for school. They are curious and ask questions to deepen their understanding. For example, they asked the inspector, 'What are you doing?' and 'What is your name?' Children are articulate communicators and explain their ideas confidently. Children make good progress from their starting points. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language.

Children behave well and respect each other. They are confident and develop positive relationships with one another and staff. As a result, children's emotional well-being is supported and they feel safe and secure.

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

• Staff have a well-planned curriculum for children that helps them to build on their knowledge and skills over time. The special educational needs coordinator and staff ensure that children with SEND receive the support they need. Staff work closely with other professionals to implement targeted support for children. They successfully help to close any gaps in children's learning.
• Children join in with group times, such as making Shark maps and singing songs. However, staff do not plan as precisely as possible for group activities to ensure that all children benefit from the learning experiences and are fully challenged.
• Children's communication and language are promoted well. Children enjoy listening to familiar stories and singing traditional rhymes. This helps children to develop a love of books and reading. Staff model and repeat sounds, single words and gestures with younger children. With older children, staff discuss ideas, introducing new vocabulary that children use in their play.
• Staff have a good knowledge of children's individual needs, personalities and learning priorities. They provide children with a wide range of valuable learning experiences that help them to gain new knowledge and skills. Staff interactions with children are positive. However, staff do not always recognise when to allow children sufficient time to develop their thinking skills to fully extend their learning.
• The management team are ambitious for the nursery. They have regular meetings and together they reflect on practice and identify areas for further development. For example, each term each room receives three targets for improvement. Staff are supported to make full use of opportunities for training to contribute to the nursery's further development. The manager and staff support each other very well, helping to develop a strong team that feels valued and respected.
• The nursery focuses on keeping children safe and healthy by providing nutritious meals and encouraging good hygiene, such as handwashing. Children are aware of and follow routines. This helps children to develop independence skills in readiness for school.
• Partnerships with parents are effective. The management team and staff encourage their engagement in their child's learning. For example, they invite parents to join special events, such as graduation ceremonies and regularly review their child's progress with them. Parents speak highly of the nursery and say they are extremely happy with their children's progress. They comment on the very friendly staff and the warm environment they create.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider more closely the planning for group activities to ensure that all children benefit from the learning opportunities and are fully challenged
• allow children sufficient time to develop their thinking skills to fully extend their learning.