The Pod

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and excited as they explore the lovely environment at the nursery. For example, they enjoy making 'pizzas' with play dough and laugh at one another's creations. The staff know the children well, and they share caring bonds. For instance, children smile with glee as they look through transparent shapes at their key person's face. Children feel safe and secure.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They regularly remind children of the nursery's 'golden rules' and to be kind to their friends. This is demonstrated when staff support children to take turns when trying to complete puzzles. Children respond well to adults, and they are beginning to learn why behaviour rules are in place.

Staff and leaders have the same ambition for all children. They are proactive in liaising with other professionals. This helps them to plan detailed, individual support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, children with SEND have wonderful experiences based on their needs. For example, they happily explore the role-play kitchen and smile as they pretend to cook. They make excellent progress towards their next steps of development.

Children have very strong independence skills. For example, they confidently manoeuvre large bricks to make a line and walk across them. Children enjoy figuring out for themselves how to get the next brick and place it where they need it to be. They giggle and laugh as they wobble on the bricks. Children have the problem-solving skills they need for future learning.

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

• Staff and leaders have a strong focus on teaching children communication and language skills. They repeatedly introduce new words in play to extend children's vocabulary. For example, children delight in repeating animal names and enjoy trying to say 'hippopotamuses'. As a result, children make good progress in their communication and language skills.
• Leaders are extremely passionate about offering high-quality care and learning. They regularly review the provision and reflect on areas for improvement. This ensures that children get the support they need to meet their next steps in development and that teaching improves over time. For instance, the nursery has recently taken part in an 'early excellence' initiative. This has helped to support the staff's knowledge and understanding of how children learn. As a result of the training, staff and leaders have amazing shared goals and values, which helps them to make continual improvement.
• Overall, staff's interactions with children are positive and support children's progress over time. For example, children smile with joy as staff tell them stories with puppets. They thoroughly enjoy this and excitedly start to play peekaboo with the puppet. However, some staff do not know how to respond and adapt their practice in the moment. For example, at times, staff do not recognise when some of the youngest children move from one activity to the next with little engagement. This does not help the youngest children to fully enjoy the learning opportunities.
• Leaders are passionate about their well-thought-out curriculum. As a result, staff know how to support children's next steps of development. From the very first visit, staff begin to observe children so that they can plan from what they already know and can do. This helps children to make good progress in learning. However, there are times within the daily routine that do not consistently meet all children's needs. For example, some younger children struggle with large-group sessions. This does not help children to engage or focus on learning.
• Most children have positive attitudes to play. Children demonstrate this when they enjoy exploring ice, and they smile with delight as it slips from their hands. Staff support them and repeat words such as 'slippy'. Younger children babble back and enjoy exploring this for some time. They have some lovely experiences across all seven areas of learning.
• The nursery staff build endearing partnerships with parents. Parents are very eager to share their lovely feedback about the setting. They appreciate the regular updates in the daily communication books, and they know about their children's learning and development. Parents explain how their children have developed confidence and a love of singing since attending the nursery. They value the lovely bonds that key persons make with children and say they feel reassured that their children are with caring staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen teaching to ensure all staff interactions are of a consistently high quality and support learning
• develop routines to ensure the youngest children have opportunities that engage and excite them.