Thessaly Road Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this welcoming and inclusive nursery. They arrive with big smiles, eager to greet staff and explore the stimulating environment. Children are given good support to help them understand the expectations for their behaviour. During routines such as 'rhyme time', they sit nicely, listen to others and join in. Children receive lots of emotional reassurance from staff, which helps them to settle quickly. They build close and caring relationships and show that they feel happy and secure. Children seek out staff to join in with their games. For instance, they use hair clippers and giggle as they pretend to shave off a staff member's hair. Staff join in with children's play wholeheartedly, which enhances children's self-esteem. They skilfully use these opportunities to extend children's learning, such as by introducing new vocabulary.

Staff want all children to achieve as much as possible. They consistently encourage children and provide positive praise. This helps children to enjoy their learning and have an enthusiastic approach to activities. For example, children and staff have enormous fun together during a letters and sounds activity. Children smile broadly as they use percussion instruments to tap out the syllables in their names. They demonstrate that they can transfer their knowledge by thinking of other words that have the same letters and sounds.

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

• The manager is committed to her role and responsibilities. Alongside staff, there are consistently high expectations for all children. The manager and staff create an inclusive environment where families are welcomed. The provider uses additional funding for children effectively. They provide focused training for staff, as well as resources and experiences which enrich children's learning. This helps all children to make good progress from their starting points.
• The manager owns the nursery in partnership with another director. They have an ambitious vision for the setting. They use self-evaluation effectively and identify clear intentions for the future. For example, they have found that children's language skills are boosted when parents read stories with them at home. Therefore, they are planning more ways to involve parents in their children's learning.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents describe staff as 'friendly and helpful'. They regularly discuss what their children are learning and how they can help them at home. Parents are very happy with the progress that their children make.
• The manager and staff plan an ambitious curriculum, which follows children's interests and progressively builds on what they know and can do. The highly trained staff provide focused support and activities for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps to close any possible gaps in their learning.
• Staff support children's language and communication skills consistently well. For instance, they help children to learn new words by singing songs and looking at books together. Staff also use visual aids, such as objects and pictures. This helps children, including those who speak English as an additional language, to understand what they hear. Children speak with confidence and use a wide range of vocabulary.
• Children develop friendships and enjoy playing with their peers. Occasionally they struggle to manage their feelings and understand the needs of others. For example, when they want the same toy or when a friend needs some time alone. At these times, staff do not always support children to identify how they and others feel, to help them regulate these strong emotions.
• Children learn how to lead active and healthy lifestyles. For instance, they develop their large-muscle skills as they run, climb, jump and pedal tricycles in the garden. Children demonstrate their understanding of nutrition as they discuss drinking milk to help them develop strong bones.
• The manager has forged good links with other professionals in the children's centre where the nursery is based and in the wider community. She works with other professionals as needed, to support children's learning and welfare. The manager consults with staff at the schools that children move on to, to help ensure smooth transitions when children start school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff provide more consistent support for children to understand and manage their feelings and moderate their behaviour independently.