The Nursery School Brighton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed into the exceptionally calm environment by caring staff, who share anecdotes and updates with parents before the day starts. This helps them provide a highly individualised curriculum for each child. For instance, they expertly adapt their planned daily activities to extend and build on children's home learning and new experiences.

Staff create an inspirational environment that gives children a strong foundation from which to become curious, life-long learners. Children benefit from an extremely well-sequenced curriculum that is fully embedded into staff practice. Staff focus on delivering the setting's aspirations for all children, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language. They provide children with exciting and stimulating activities that help build their skills and knowledge precisely, over time. For instance, babies use rollers and paintbrushes to develop and practise their physical skills, while older children have the strength and coordination to use a saw in the woodland.

Staff skilfully support children's resilience and emotional well-being. They help children develop a rich vocabulary to help them express their feelings, ideas and thoughts. Children are calm and relaxed while they play, happily sharing resources with one another and building friendships. Their diverse cultures, languages and lives are valued and respected. Staff plan exciting activities and trips to help children gain a deeper understanding of their place in society and the world.

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

• Inspirational leaders and staff place children and families at the heart of their practice. Staff well-being is high and their dedication to providing a safe, stimulating and nurturing environment for all children is consistently demonstrated. Their strong knowledge of child development and excellent teaching are valued and fostered by leaders.
• Staff expertly build on children's skills and extend their learning. They identify any gaps in learning and swiftly intervene, to help children reach their potential in precise and achievable steps. Leaders ensure any additional funding is used to provide well-researched training for staff and resources to help all children make rapid progress.
• Staff use sensory experiences to underpin children's learning and develop their creativity. For example, babies delight in paddling in shallow water, toddlers paint on balloons, while older children create beads from elder tree sticks and thread them onto wool. Staff introduce new words to help children make links between these experiences and their prior knowledge. For example, when children want to turn the water pink, they recall which colours they need to achieve this.
• Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff establish routines that support children's well-being and self-esteem. For instance, children are given time to become fully immersed in their play without interruption. Staff skilfully step in to comfort babies before they become overly tired or distressed. Children thrive on the positive, calm and gentle approach staff take with them.
• Children's speaking and listening skills are excellent. Staff listen carefully to children and expertly enhance their conversations when they introduce new words to extend their sentences. From a young age, staff help children develop a deep love and interest in books. They devote time to reading to children and developing stories in fun and enjoyable ways. Babies listen and repeat simple words, while older children confidently recite rhymes and poems. This helps to enrich children's language skills.
• Staff cleverly introduce children to simple science and mathematics. They present children with complex challenges, such as finding ways to move water from one place to another or building towers with blocks. Children demonstrate high levels of mathematical awareness. For example, toddlers compare long and short pieces of wool, while older children recognise number patterns, and explain these in words, such as 'two fours make eight'.
• Staff purposefully plan activities to improve children's physical skills. Children enjoy space to exert energy, build strength and stability and practise fine motor skills. For instance, babies explore musical instruments to develop their coordination and muscle control, while older children confidently use tweezers and scissors.
• Staff help children adopt healthy lifestyles in meaningful and age-appropriate ways. They inspire children to try nutritious food as part of an enjoyable and sociable mealtime. Babies display excellent independence skills when they drink from open cups, while older children competently use cutlery. They demonstrate self-confidence and pride in their achievements.
• Parent partnership is exceptional. From the outset, parents are valued and encouraged to become involved in children's learning. For instance, there are welcoming spaces for parents to relax and rest and daily opportunities to speak with staff, who regularly discuss children's progress with them. They share ideas to support children's learning at home, such as weekly home activities, and advice around potty training and oral hygiene.