The Palace Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to arrive at the nursery where they are warmly welcomed by staff. They build strong bonds with the children and know them well. Children are confident and secure in their environment.

Children make good progress in their learning because the staff plan and assess well. Staff build on what they know about the children and their interests. They provide learning experiences that engage and excite children to learn.

Staff provide a safe and nurturing space, in which children feel valued. For example, children role play doctors. The staff immerse themselves in the children's play, following their lead. Children write prescriptions and care for staff, wrapping bandages and giving medicine. Children show empathy as they care for staff and offer cuddles to make them feel better.

Children enjoy a range of exciting new learning experiences. Leaders and staff reflect on how they use resources to build on and extend children's interests. The manager and the staff work with parents and use their skills to offer more activities, such as yoga, music and movement and physical education lessons.

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

• Staff ensure that they meet the needs of all children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities enjoy targeted activities led by staff to build on their interests. For example, children show a particular interest in construction blocks. Staff engage in play with children as they explore and develop their skills in building and mathematical development.
• Children make good progress. Key people know the children well. They plan activities that build on what children already know and can do. Key people share the children's daily learning with parents and offer ideas on how to support the children's learning at home. They sequence the curriculum to reflect children's individual age and stage of development.
• The manager and staff have established positive relationships and work well with parents. Parents comment on the support and dedication they receive as a family. They feel that their children make good progress because of the input from staff at the nursery.
• Staff encourage and teach the importance of healthy lifestyles. Children have many opportunities to be active. They ride bicycles, climb, run and explore in the garden. Staff talk to children about how to look after themselves and to manage risks. They talk about the importance of staying hydrated and drinking water.
• The manager evaluates the provision and staff practice. She works with staff to set them targets to help improve the experiences they offer children. Staff engage in training, which helps them to plan and sequence children's learning. The manager makes staff well-being a priority. She holds regular staff meetings, sharing achievements to raise staff's self-esteem and confidence. Staff speak openly about the positive support and coaching they receive from each other and from the manager. This promotes a positive culture and an environment where children thrive and are supported in managing their feelings and to regulate their emotions.
• Staff have clear expectations of children's attitude to learning and behaviour. They share these well with older children, and children generally behave well. Staff are quick to act to resolve minor conflicts with the children. However, they do not always support younger children's understanding of their behaviour.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills well. Children are keen to share their thoughts and ideas, engaging staff in their play. The staff listen to and respond to the children. However, they do not always make the most of interactions with younger children to extend their communication and language even further.
• Babies benefit from caring, nurturing relationships with staff. Staff know the children and their individual routines very well and meet the children's needs with love and care. Staff are calm and patient, and they allow the children the time and space to freely explore the activities available to them. This helps babies to feel safe and secure.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to be consistent in their behaviour management strategies, to build on younger children's understanding of behaviour expectations
• improve interactions with younger children to extend their communication and language even further.