The Nursery Rooms

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Babies and children are happy and safe as they snuggle into the arms of the caring staff. Staff are nurturing and kind and children behave well. Staff teach children how to respect each other and the resources they use. Managers and staff know the children well. They design a curriculum that is based on children's needs and interests. Children find their learning exciting as staff support them to practise their skills, for example learning to use scissors as they cut cabbage leaves into tiny pieces.

Staff support children who speak English as an additional language. There is a strong focus on developing children's communication and language skills throughout the nursery. Staff speak to children in clear and simple language and read captivating stories to promote and develop their vocabulary. Children grow in confidence as they move through the nursery. Staff form close relationships with their key children and help them to settle quickly as they transition to a new room.

All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in their learning. Staff observe and assess children's development. They complete children's progress check at age two with parents to help them plan for the next steps in children's learning. Staff are swift to identify any gaps in learning. For example, they identified that some children needed more support with mathematics. Staff altered their curriculum and purchased resources to promote this area of learning, and children have responded well.

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

• Managers and staff work closely with parents to ensure all children receive the support and education they need. Staff provide parents with regular updates on children's progress. Parents report that they are very happy with the care and learning their children receive. They say they find the staff friendly and that heir children are always eager to go to nursery, even wanting to go at the weekend.
• Staff work closely together to ensure the smooth running of the nursery. They are secure in their roles and support each other through the routines of the day. Staff understand the children's abilities and interests and work closely together to plan effective activities to support children's development. Managers make good use of children's additional funding to provide specific resources and experiences that help children to make steady progress.
• Babies benefit from plenty of space to crawl about and learn to walk. They enjoy exploring resources that are suitable for their age. Staff encourage them to be independent as they learn to feed themselves. Babies enjoy tasting new flavours as staff encourage them to try different foods. Staff sing songs and babies enjoy clapping and copying the actions to popular rhymes. Staff talk to babies all the time to encourage them to speak and repeat words.
• Books are available for children to access in every room and outdoors. Children enjoy sitting in small groups with staff, listening to a story of their choice. Babies and children learn to share from a young age and they play and learn in harmony. Children have lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills. They have regular dance sessions with a professional teacher and access to climbing equipment indoors and outside.
• Staff promote children's independence and help them to become ready for school. For example, children help to lay out the cutlery on the lunch tables. They confidently take the knives and forks and place them perfectly in their positions. Staff praise children and thank them for their help. Children sit down to their lunch with staff, who help them with their food if necessary, according to their age and stage of development.
• Older children are very imaginative. They act out scenes with toys, and staff support them to think creatively. Children interact with each other and develop skills of cooperation and coordination. They develop their gross motor skills as they undertake a big painting challenge. They use large brushes to paint big boxes, which helps their physical development as well as their creativity. Children develop their hand control in preparation for early writing as they concentrate hard on snipping around the edges of paper with scissors.
• Managers and staff have a good relationship with each other. The manager and deputy support the staff by working alongside them throughout the day. All staff receive appropriate training in paediatric first aid and safeguarding. However, staff do not receive a variety of professional development to help them to develop their skills and raise the quality of their practice to the highest level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the already good practice, seeking further ways to enhance staff's professional development that focus on deepening their knowledge of teaching and learning.