The School House Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to arrive at this welcoming nursery. They immediately show they feel safe and secure and settle quickly. For example, children are confident to talk to visitors and show them their special books with photographs of their families. Staff know children extremely well and develop strong bonds with them. They are readily available to offer children friendly support and warm cuddles throughout the day. This contributes to children's confidence and security.

All children show positive attitudes and are well prepared for their next stage in learning. Staff follow children's interests and have a clear understanding of what they intend children to learn. Children have access to a variety of learning experiences, which inspire their creative play. For example, children use junk-modelling boxes, scissors and glue to create their own 'dinosaurs' and 'unicorn houses'. This helps all children to make good progress in their learning.

Children know what is expected of them and follow the boundaries and routines of the setting well. They enjoy playing alongside each other and understand the importance of sharing and taking turns. Staff act as positive role models and encourage children to be kind. They speak to children in a calming manner, and carefully consider and respect children's views and opinions.

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

• The management team provides a well-thought-out and welcoming environment. For example, children enjoy growing herbs and flowers and learn about the natural world around them. They fill bird feeders and wait patiently to see the birds and squirrels. Children delight as they see 'Peanut' the squirrel outside collecting food from the feeder. Staff initiate discussions with children about why they need to be quiet and still when they see him.
• Staff support children to learn about the importance of being healthy, including their oral health. Children enjoy freshly prepared hot-cooked meals and healthy snacks each day. Staff provide a range of opportunities for children to be physically active. Children go outside often during the day and enjoy exploring and playing games with their friends. For example, during water play, children pretend to make tea. Staff provide them with flavoured tea bags to explore. Children demonstrate their physical skills as they pour, mix and stir the water and watch it turn red.
• Children are encouraged to be independent from a young age. Staff encourage children to put on their own coats and manage their own coat zips. Children wash their hands independently and pour their own water and milk at lunchtime. Children are supported to make choices as they learn during their play. For example, they independently select from the well-resourced environment.
• Overall, staff understand how to support children's language development. They engage in high-quality conversations with children, introducing new words to increase their vocabulary. In addition, staff give children time to gather their thoughts and answer the questions asked of them. However, staff who care for younger children sometimes forget to model language to them as they play.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by staff. Staff identify gaps in children's development at an early stage and act promptly to address them. The manager refers to outside agencies and other professionals for support and advice. For example, changes to the nursery, such as height adaptations, have been made following the advice of occupational therapists. This helps to ensure that all children have the same opportunity to achieve the best start to their education.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery. They say that their children love attending and arrive happy and smiling. Staff share information with parents about their children's learning experiences through daily conversations. In addition, they share photographs of children's activities using an online application. Parents are encouraged to contribute to their children's learning and support their learning at home. Staff provide parents with activity ideas.
• The management team is reflective of practice. Staff attend regular training to improve their knowledge and skills. They say that they are happy with the support they receive from managers. However, the manager has not yet shared her own skills and knowledge sufficiently, such as through peer-to-peer observations and supervision sessions.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff's understanding of how to model language to further support children's communication and language skills
• consider ways to develop observations and supervisions to support all staff to deliver the highest quality teaching.