Thornbury Play & Learn Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The newly appointed manager and staff team have worked hard to make significant improvements to the overall quality of the setting. Children show that they feel happy and safe in the care of the nurturing adults. They cheerily greet staff and separate well from their parents. Children demonstrate that they are familiar with the nursery routines as they hang up their coats independently and get ready to start their day. Staff know children well. They complete observations and assessments of children's learning and identify what children need to learn next. The highly qualified and experienced manager has a clear understanding of what she intends children to learn and supports staff to implement this in practice. Children cuddle up to staff as they listen to exciting stories and join in with songs and rhymes. They listen and respond to instructions and join in with conversations. This helps to build on children's good communication and language skills.

Children are confident learners. They use magnifying glasses when playing in the outside area. Children show high levels of enthusiasm as they discover snails and insects. They enthusiastically show others what they have found. Staff talk to children as they make marks on paper using crayons. They offer high levels of praise as children talk about the marks they are making and begin to recognise letters. This helps to develop children's self-esteem.

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

• Staff introduce mathematical vocabulary as children play. For instance, staff play alongside children during water play games, introducing words such as 'full' and 'empty'. Furthermore, staff encourage children to recognise shapes and to play 'ready, set, go' games. Children concentrate as they fill cupcake cases with cereal and chocolate. They count how many more spoonfuls they need. This helps to build on children's mathematical understanding.
• Children are physically active in their play. They use crates in the outside garden to climb on. Children play ball games and ride on bikes and wheeled toys. They spend time using their physical skills, climbing on equipment such as large slides and climbing frames. Staff encourage children to follow good hygiene practices throughout the day. Children make healthy choices during snack times. This helps children to develop an understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• The manager is very ambitious. She has clear action plans in place to continue to build on the already positive changes made to the setting. The manager meets regularly with the staff team to evaluate what is working well. She has implemented performance management procedures, including supervision sessions. However, the manager has not yet had time to embed these fully in practice to help to swiftly identify and address any emerging weaknesses in practice.
• The manager and staff work with other professionals. They share relevant information to help to meet children's individual needs. They offer support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and have put effective strategies in place to help them to understand and prepare for what happens next in the daily routine. All children engage well in activities on offer.
• Children form friendships with each other. Staff encourage children to roll balls back and forth and to join in with small-group games. They provide praise and encouragement and promote positive behaviour. However, staff do not build on children's understanding of how to manage their feelings and behaviour and how to recognise the impact this has on others.
• Parents comment that they have noticed vast improvements in the quality of the setting since the new management and staff team have taken over. The manager and staff have created a 'lending library' for children to take storybooks home to share with their parents. There are plans in place to invite parents in to review their children's learning and to join in with stay-and-play sessions. Parents are now welcomed into the nursery and are provided with ideas to try at home. This helps to provide a continued approach to children's learning needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on the good performance management procedures to help to identify and address any emerging weaknesses in practice
• enhance children's understanding of how their feelings and behaviours may impact on others.