The Rocking Horse Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are caring and nurturing, supporting children to make good progress in their learning and development. There is an effective key-person system in place. Children have time to settle and build strong relationships with staff who know their key children well and use this knowledge to support their progress through the curriculum. Children receive appropriate praise and encouragement to support them to persevere and to promote their well-being.

Staff have high expectations for children's learning and behaviour. Staff role model respect and manners through their interactions with children and each other. For example, when staff ask questions during play, they listen and respond and thank children for their contribution. This helps children to feel valued.

Staff implement an ambitious curriculum to help prepare children for their next stages in learning. For example, as children progress through the setting, staff support them to become increasingly independent with their personal care. Therefore, older children confidently manage tasks such as serving their own meals. Children obtain skills useful for when starting school. Children enjoy plenty of fresh air and exercise to keep them fit and healthy. Children benefit from lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills, particularly outside. For example, each age group has their own specific outdoor space that is age- and stage-appropriate. This allows children to practise what they already know and develop new skills through access to additional resources and apparatus.

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

• Staff support children's language development and literacy well. Staff find out what children already know and develop this through the introduction of descriptive vocabulary. For example, when colour mixing with large containers and water, children identify the individual colours. Staff enrich this by sharing an example of sky blue. Children are then encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences. However, staff do not make consistent use of opportunities to extend children's learning through mathematical concepts or provide individual challenge, which limits the depth of children's learning.
• Staff report that they feel supported by the provider. Training opportunities are identified through regular meetings to discuss staff's professional development. Staff use knowledge gained during training to support children's learning and development and meet children's individual needs. Staff offer peer support through professional conversations about how they can improve and develop their teaching.
• Staff are attentive to babies' wants and needs. For example, they recognise the early signs of when children are tired and support them well to ensure they continue to feel safe and secure. They work closely with families to support transitions from home to the setting. Staff provide families with children who may initially struggle when starting with additional strategies to meet their individual needs.
• Staff manage mealtimes in the setting well, keeping them calm. They provide children with chances to enhance their skills as they develop. There is a clear and sequenced plan to ensure mealtimes are seen as a learning opportunity. For example, younger children drink from an open cup, while their older peers start to serve their own meals at the table. Children manage this very well. Staff sit with the children throughout the mealtime to offer support and keep children safe.
• Feedback from families highlights a good culture of communication, fostering a relationship of trust and inclusive care at the setting. Families expressed confidence in the ability to approach staff, reflecting a nurturing and approachable environment. Transitions are viewed positively, particularly the move to school. Families shared how well prepared and emotionally ready their child was. This indicates the setting's success in fostering key skills for school readiness and in providing strong emotional support.
• Children demonstrate high levels of engagement. For example, when exploring with magnifying glasses in the garden, staff support children to be gentle with bugs, as they are small and need to be looked after. Children listen attentively to adults and show kindness.
• The setting demonstrates a strong culture of reflection and continuous improvement. They regularly evaluate practice and make meaningful changes to ensure the environment is inclusive, child-centred and responsive to the needs of all children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more targeted challenges during activities that extend children's learning even further.