The Nursery At Broadstairs College

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are settled and enjoy the resources on offer. They show that they have strong bonds with staff, going to them throughout the day for cuddles and reassurance. Leaders are good at considering the environment and they make any necessary changes to support children to feel safe and settled.

Staff offer good-quality learning and interactions for most children. Children make good progress from their starting points. Babies are sensitively cared for. Staff support their physical development, holding a hand as they learn to walk and giving them opportunities to cruise around the tables. Older children show they have prior knowledge and understanding as they recall learning about different parts of a flower and describe the process of ice melting. Staff use their knowledge of children to plan activities that will interest them and motivate them to take part. They use positive praise to support children to persevere.

Staff plan a curriculum that sequentially builds on children's knowledge and skills. They focus well on supporting children's language and communication skills so they can express themselves. Children are given more choices and a say in the rules of the room as they grow older. This supports them to develop independence and confidence.

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

• Leaders have a vision for providing good-quality care and education. They use informal supervision sessions and observations to identify gaps and areas of weakness in staff's knowledge. The leadership team has put plans in place to support staff. However, these are not yet securely embedded.
• Staff know children well and plan activities that support them to make progress. For example, children enjoy making play dough pizza while staff teach them to recognise 'halves' and 'quarters'. However, staff are better at interacting with and supporting children who are more confident. Children who are quieter are sometimes left to explore on their own rather than being welcomed into play. At these times, some children do not fully benefit from the range of learning experiences offered.
• Children's communication and language skills are supported well. Staff incorporate new vocabulary into their interactions with children. Babies smile as staff read to them and sing songs. Staff use the words 'splash', 'tap' and 'squish' as they support babies to release fruit from blocks of ice. Staff use questions well with older children to encourage discussion and a deeper level of understanding.
• Most staff are engaging in their interactions. They involve themselves in children's role play and play alongside children, extending their skills and knowledge. Staff are enthusiastic and enjoy dancing and singing alongside children. Most children are keen to engage and join in with activities.
• Children know the routines of the day, and staff support them to complete these. However, transition times, such as mealtimes and when getting children ready to play outside, can become disorganised. As a result, children are left waiting for a long time without anything to do and become bored.
• Leaders and staff place an emphasis on supporting children's well-being. An effective key-person system supports children to settle well. Staff talk to children gently throughout the day, reminding them of the rules, such as 'kind hands'. They support children to build peer friendships, to share and to take turns through both planned activities and in children's own chosen play.
• Staff support children to learn about risks and how to keep themselves safe. They talk to children and explain why things are important. For instance, when older children are building dens, staff support them to think about leaving a door so staff can see them to make sure they are safe. Children respond well to this and enjoy reminding their friends of the rules as they join in.
• Leaders have developed good relationships with parents. Parents report feeling supported and that they are kept well informed about their child's learning journey. Leaders are supportive and flexible with their approach to parents to ensure that all children can benefit from the hours they are entitled to. Leaders use any available funding well to support children with their well-being and to address any identified areas of learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen monitoring of staff practice so that any areas for improvement are swiftly identified and addressed
• build on staff's skills in consistently supporting all children to fully engage with the learning experiences offered, including quieter children
• improve the organisation of transitions and routines to reduce the amount of time children spend waiting.