The Wendy House Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and smiling at this welcoming nursery. The nursery remained open for the vast majority of time during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. However, following a recent period of closure, the manager has risk assessed the play space effectively to make it safe for children to return. Parents report that this has made them feel better about the children returning. Staff encourage good hygiene procedures to help tackle the spread of infections. As a result, children know it is important to wash their hands and they do this independently. Caring staff make sure that children feel very secure and safe as they learn. Staff talk to parents about their children's likes and dislikes. As a result, new children and babies settle quickly and form strong emotional attachments with their key person. Children have good manners and know the routines very well. They happily share toys with their friends and enjoy playing together. Children listen attentively to instructions. They develop perseverance and determination while balancing on beams in the outdoor space. Older children help themselves to a healthy snack and access water independently.

Staff continuously praise children for their achievements, which supports them to be confident learners. Children enjoy investigating and testing out what they know. For example, they are fascinated to learn about colours when they use pipettes to mix colours together, and excitedly call out to staff when they see a colour change. Staff support children's communication and language skills. They model sounds and words for children to copy. Staff's interactions with babies are enjoyable and exciting. The staff know the children well and they understand what they need to learn next. Children are curious about the world around them, especially while finding out about each other's family and the community.

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

• Children's communication and language skills are promoted well. For example, babies enjoy listening to stories and repeat words, such as animal sounds, from familiar storybooks.
• In the pre-school room, staff skilfully promote children's understanding of mathematical language. For example, they enhance children's learning during mathematical activities with well-chosen questions. They encourage children to learn new vocabulary and to solve problems and think of new ideas during activities. However, sometimes, the activities on offer in the toddler room are not planned well enough to support children to achieve their next steps quickly.
• Staff have high expectations for all children and, overall, most staff make adjustments in their teaching to meet children's needs. Although most children make good progress from their starting points, some staff do not yet sequence the curriculum well enough to meet each child's next steps effectively. In addition, staff are not consistent in their approach for allowing younger children enough time to respond before asking them the next question.
• Staff help children to learn about keeping healthy. Children learn how some foods are not good for their teeth and also learn how to brush their teeth to improve their oral health. Children have regular opportunities to enjoy physical active play and learn new skills while outdoors in the fresh air. This supports children's understanding of making healthy choices and promotes their well-being. Children show high levels of independence in their play as they choose from resources independently.
• Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour and encourage children to follow the 'golden rules'. Children frequently show acts of kindness towards each other. They are respectful to staff and each other, and remind each other of the rules. They say that they must use 'inside voices' and 'walking feet' and that we must 'care for our friends'. Children have exceptional manners. Staff provide opportunities at circle time for children to talk about their feelings with their friends. Staff help children to feel proud of their achievements.
• The manager and staff evaluate the provision regularly and make plans to improve the children's learning and enjoyment. Staff attend training to extend their professional knowledge and share information with each other to help develop their teaching skills. The manager and room leaders provide support for less-experienced staff, to build on their skills and enhance learning experiences for children. Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions and team meetings. As a result, staff say they are well supported in their roles, know their targets and feel valued.
• Parents report that their children are happy and confident. They appreciate the ways in which staff keep them informed and involved in the life of the nursery. Staff share information about children's progress with all parents to support them to continue their children's learning at home. One parent described the nursery as a 'lifeline for the whole family'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's professional development and practice so that they fully understand and are able to plan for the sequencing of children's learning, to offer the highest levels of challenge
• support staff to use questioning more effectively to enable younger children sufficient time to respond.