The Old School House Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are very happy and engaged in this warm and welcoming nursery. Babies and children make a smooth start to their learning experiences and form strong bonds with the staff who care for them. Staff work closely with parents to thoroughly understand children's interests, needs and routines. They use the information well to plan carefully, overall, for children's progress in all aspects of their learning. Children are thoroughly prepared for their future learning, including starting school. For example, they learn to concentrate well in group and individual activities, such as musical tasks, to listen and follow instructions.

Children feel safe. They behave very well. They learn to be polite and considerate towards their friends and those who care for them. Mealtimes are very sociable occasions. For instance, children learn to patiently serve themselves and chat to staff and each other. Staff help children to make considered decisions about their play and learning and to challenge themselves. For example, staff encourage children in their jumping and balancing activities to try hard and reach further.

The manager and her staff have high expectations for every child to get the most from their time in the nursery. Parents are very appreciative of the nursery, particularly that it remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic for vulnerable children and children of key workers and maintained good communication and support with families.

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

• Staff plan carefully considered experiences to help children to make good progress overall. They make thorough use of information from parents to arrange activities that interest children and build on their skills and knowledge. However, occasionally, they do not fully challenge children. Staff do not consistently introduce children to a new and varied vocabulary by, for instance, questioning and example.
• Staff strongly promote children's love of books. They teach children a wide range of nursery rhymes, traditional tales and songs. They carefully choose books that develop children's interests and language experiences. Staff read stories very well and bring them to life through, for example, role play. Children regularly take books home from the nursery's well-resourced library and reading scheme to share with their parents.
• The well-qualified and very experienced manager, with strong support from senior staff, draws on the views of staff, parents and children to review, research and improve the provision. For example, staff are researching children's different learning styles. Staff morale is high, which is recognised in their recent Investors in People platinum award.
• Children develop good physical skills. They balance, jump and run on imaginative obstacle courses, which they create with planks, tyres and other objects. Staff help children to develop their small-muscle control by, for example, mixing and stirring substances in baking or sensory play in foam, sand, ice or cereals. This also supports children's mark-making and early writing skills.
• Staff strongly support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They identify possible gaps in children's learning and development at an early stage. Staff, including the well-qualified special educational needs coordinator, work closely with other professionals, such as speech therapists and early help consultants, to plan for future learning. They liaise closely with schools children move on to, to ensure a smooth transition.
• Staff encourage children's healthy lifestyle and well-being. Children play sorting activities to learn about healthy food and how to keep their teeth clean and healthy. They plant seeds and grow their own fruits and vegetables. They learn how to bake and understand the properties of mixing different ingredients. The nursery provides nutritious and tasty meals. Children learn to be well behaved and considerate.
• Parents highly recommend the nursery. They appreciate staff's wide knowledge of children's learning and development and the guidance they offer. Although parents have not been able to access the classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic, they welcome the steps staff take to keep them involved and informed. For example, staff have used closed-circuit television to give new parents virtual tours of the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus staff development on ensuring that all children are consistently challenged and supported to further enrich their vocabulary and deepen their understanding.