The Old Station Nursery - Pershore

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide a warm welcome when children arrive at the nursery. They work hard to build positive relationships with children and their families. Children develop close attachments to their key person and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure as they settle well into their chosen activities. Staff provide rich opportunities for children to grow and develop their confidence as they become sociable communicators. For example, children talk about the food they are eating and how this can affect their bodies. Staff patiently wait as children take their turn to contribute to the discussion. This helps to build their confidence when sharing thoughts and ideas with others.

Staff plan the environments well. Children show positive attitudes to learning as they explore with curiosity. They discover some daffodils on the table and ask staff questions about them. Staff challenge and develop children's knowledge and understanding as they talk about each part of the flower. Children confidently repeat the newly learned words, developing their vocabulary. Children form friendships as they play games in the garden. For example, they take the lead as they play hide and seek. They giggle with delight when they discover their friends' hiding places, and motivate others to join in.

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

• Managers have an ambitious vision for the nursery. Staff receive regular coaching and mentoring, and morale is high. They comment that they feel valued by their colleagues and say that management supports them well. Staff complete a range of training to help to build on their skills. They share their knowledge with other colleagues to help to support each other in their professional development.
• All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make progress in their development from their starting points. The special educational needs coordinator has developed strong working partnerships with other professionals to ensure that children with SEND receive the additional support they need.
• Children's behaviour is generally good. However, staff working with younger children do not put targeted plans in place swiftly enough to support children who struggle to regulate their behaviour. As a result, other children's learning and involvement in activities are sometimes disrupted.
• Managers follow robust safer recruitment procedures. All staff have suitability checks completed before they start employment to ensure that they are suitable to care for children. Staff carry out daily risk assessments of the environment to ensure that it is safe for children to play.
• Parents share extremely positive feedback about the care their children receive.
• They comment that their children have thrived at the nursery. Parents say that staff are friendly, professional and nurturing, and they have children's best interests at heart. Staff's attention to detail reassures parents that children receive the best care.
• Staff promote children's independence from an early age. They ask children to find their shoes in preparation to go outside in the garden. Younger children eagerly go off to find their shoes, and their friends kindly help them to put them on their feet if they are struggling. Before mealtimes, children wash their hands. Older children pour their own drinks at lunchtime. Staff talk to children about food choices and what is healthy or unhealthy for them.
• Children keenly explore activities. They concentrate as they roll and manipulate play dough in a tray. Staff support children to use the tools to make different-sized heart shapes. Children excitedly share their creations and staff provide them with an abundance of praise to build on their self-esteem.
• Staff promote children's individuality and gather information about their home lives to help provide them with broad experiences. For instance, children listen to music from other cultures during their dance sessions. They learn what makes them unique as they develop their awareness of the world around them.
• Staff use stories and props to develop and build on children's knowledge and understanding. Children talk about what they recall from the story. They use the knowledge they already have to contribute their ideas to the discussion. For example, children select from the props that staff provide and share what they think it might be. Staff extend their understanding by skilfully asking questions to broaden their knowledge even further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise when to implement targeted plans to help children to learn how to regulate their own behaviour.