The Organic Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time in this welcoming and inclusive environment. The nursery is a hive of activity, where children play, explore and investigate under close supervision of staff. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, children say goodbye to their parents at the front door. They are greeted warmly by the nurturing staff, who engage them in conversation about their friends and the day ahead.

Children learn to respect each other and develop an understanding of the similarities and differences between themselves and others. Children are kind and considerate. They use good manners. Children share and play cooperatively. They demonstrate they feel safe and secure. For example, children are excited when they see the staff and run to them for hugs. Children learn to recognise and manage their own needs. For example, older children go to the toilet independently and babies crawl into sleeping pods when they are tired.

Children use a variety of resources which help to develop their small-muscle skills and coordination. For example, they have fun while they manipulate dough and concentrate when they use scissors during small craft activities. Children learn to recognise and write their own name. They persevere with tasks and develop a can-do attitude.

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

• The manager has devised an ambitious well-sequenced curriculum which is understood and implemented by staff throughout the nursery. She monitors children's progress and adapts the curriculum to meet the needs of the children who attend.
• Staff performance is monitored effectively and focuses their professional development on supporting children to make the best possible progress.
• Staff manage children's behaviour effectively. Consequently, children behave well.
• Staff are enthusiastic about their roles and have high expectations for children. They have a good understanding of child development. Staff make regular observations of children's learning and accurate assessments of what they need to learn next. They provide activities and experiences that match children's interests and learning needs. As a result, all children make good progress, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Overall, staff promote children's communication skills well throughout the nursery. Children enjoy music, dance and singing sessions. They enjoy listening to their favourite stories. Staff engage children in discussions and encourage children to express their views and opinions. However, they do not consistently encourage children to use their dummies for limited periods of time, such as when they are upset or resting. Staff do not share with parents the impact dummies can have on younger children's communication and language development.
• Staff know how to support children's mathematical development effectively. Two-year-olds learn to count and recognise basic shapes. Older children start to recognise numbers and use simple addition and subtraction.
• Staff place a strong focus on building children's self-esteem. They give plenty of praise and encouragement. Children proudly point out to visitors the work they have completed, which staff display prominently in the nursery.
• Staff caring for babies are highly attuned to their needs. They respond promptly to their physical and emotional needs to ensure they remain comfortable and content. Staff have carefully considered the babies' environment. For example, they have placed favourite toys and resources around the room. This enables babies to explore and investigate independently and promotes their physical development while they move around.
• Children develop a good understanding of the importance of eating nutritious food as part of a healthy lifestyle. They prepare fruit and make their own smoothies. Staff introduce discussions about the impact of different foods on their bodies. Children learn about good oral hygiene. They have plenty of opportunities to be active, indoors and outdoors. However, the lunchtime routine does not always work well for the pre-school room children, who sometimes sit and wait for too long before lunch is served. This results in some children becoming restless.
• Parents speak very highly of the manager and her team. They say they receive regular updates on the progress their children make in the nursery and know what they can do at home to support them further. Parents comment on the close relationships between the children and staff. They feel their children are safe and say that staff inform them promptly if their children become poorly during their time at the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide support for parents and children to help to minimise children's use of dummies to encourage children's communication and speaking skills further
• review the organisation of lunchtime routines in the room for three-year-old children so that they do not have to wait unnecessarily.