The Wendy House Day Nursery Impington

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this vibrant nursery. Staff fully understand the nursery's ethos and sensitively build children's confidence and resilience. Children reflect the staff's enthusiasm and show a great passion for learning. They delight in using the outdoor areas. They explore natural resources, creatively using these to construct swings and balance beams. They develop resilience and confidence as they learn to use these. Children competently assess risks and understand their own limitations while challenging themselves further, as they climb trees, for example. Children of all ages access exciting learning opportunities. Babies sit under trees and giggle with delight as they discover magnifying glasses and look through tinted blocks.

Children show a mature independence. Older children serve their meal, carefully leaving an equal share for others. Children are observant and naturally kind. For example, they make sure their friends can reach the water jug, and help to pass this around. Children show an excellent understanding of emotions. Young children look at emotions cards, clearly recognising these and explaining them further, stating the person in the picture looks sad and may need a cuddle, for example. Staff are highly sensitive to the possible effects of the COVID-19 lockdowns. They supported children attending the nursery to keep in touch with their friends at home through online recordings and messages. This aided children to settle quickly on their return.

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

• All children make exceptional progress. Staff have an excellent understanding of each child's development. They know exactly what children need to learn next. They plan activities that precisely reflect children's interests and successfully support them in taking the next steps in their learning. The manager's meticulous monitoring of children's progress ensures that any weaknesses in learning are very swiftly addressed so that no child falls behind in their development.
• Managers and owners truly value staff and implement innovative, practical procedures to support staff well-being. Staff receive frequent supervision and well-considered support to develop their practice further. Staff report that they thoroughly enjoy their work and 'feel part of the nursery family'.
• Children show an exceptionally mature approach to understanding others, interacting and communicating. For example, during an online meeting with children at the sister setting, older children eagerly explain about the air ambulance visiting them. They use their exceptional communication skills as they listen intently to the questions other children ask, and then answer these. They initiate discussion as they ask the other children about their graduation ceremony. These excellent learning opportunities strongly support children in gaining the skills needed when they move on to school.
• Children develop a great love of books. Babies explore textures in books and compare these to textured materials. Toddlers choose favourite books outside and explain to visitors that they have made a library. Older children learn about conservation and wildlife, competently checking facts in reference books. Children naturally turn to books for information and inspiration. For example, older children notice an illustration on a shirt and find a book to look this up. They discuss the exotic animals illustrated and create their own illustrations.
• Children enjoy many opportunities that support them in understanding others in their community and beyond. For example, children make gifts and send them to a nearby residential home for older people. They are excited when they receive a reply, eagerly examining the photographs they have been sent and sensitively planning what they can send in return.
• Staff skilfully support children to extend their vocabulary, checking that they understand new words and offering them further opportunities to use these words. For instance, children explain they are 'archaeologists' and are 'excavating a mound'.
• Children enjoy many innovative opportunities that support them in making marks and starting to write. For example, older children explore charcoal left in their campfire. They use this to draw illustrations and label items. Younger children use toothpaste to clean pretend teeth. They go on to use the brushes to make circles and large swirls on a tray.
• Parents have an exceptionally high opinion of the nursery. They state that communication is excellent and they appreciate the wealth of activities children enjoy in the outdoor areas. Staff offer personalised, practical guidance to aid parents in understanding how children learn through play and support them in extending their child's learning.