Thrive Lark Hill House

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy attending this welcoming nursery. Staff work hard to ensure children feel safe and secure. Children quickly establish warm and trusting relationships with staff. Detailed information gathered when children first start supports their transition to nursery life. Children are engaged and motivated in their chosen activities. Each room is a hive of activity where staff carefully consider what it is that they want children to learn. Children explore with confidence as they independently select what they would like to play with. Older children are able to express their ideas, which are listened to by the attentive staff team. This supports children's emotional well-being, as they know their opinions are valued and considered.

Children behave well for their age. Young children are learning how to share and to take turns. For example, when children create pictures using glue and collage materials, staff encourage them to share the tools and resources. Older children show kindness to one another as they help their friends put on boots for outdoor play. Staff offer clear and consistent reminders and explain why some behaviours are unwanted. This means children are learning right from wrong and developing an understanding of what is expected of them.

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

• Children benefit from a range of activities and experiences that reflect their interests and what they need to learn next. Staff use assessment well to quickly address any emerging gaps in children's learning. Consideration is given to children's prior achievements and existing skills. Each activity that staff devise has a clear learning intention that is tailored to meet children's individual needs. As a result, children are developing essential skills needed for future learning.
• Children's outdoor learning is a key feature of this nursery. Staff plan activities that encourage children to spend lots of time in the fresh air, exploring nature and the natural world around them. Children develop skills such as climbing, balancing and hand-eye coordination. They create obstacle courses with planks and tyres and learn to move their bodies in many different ways.
• Since the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have focused their teaching on strengthening children's speaking skills. The majority of staff model language well and introduce new vocabulary as children play. However, some staff do not fully understand how the use of dummies can impact on a child's speech and language development.
• Children enjoy listening to the stories that staff read. Young children point to pictures and turn pages independently, while older children talk about what they think might happen next. However, book areas within the nursery are not inviting. Dedicated spaces for children to relax and choose a story are tired and worn, and many books are in a poor state of repair. This does not fully promote a love of literacy among children.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The dedicated special educational needs coordinator has completed relevant training that enables her to assist and advise families and staff. Strong partnership working with other professionals helps to ensure that children quickly receive any additional support they might need. All children, including those with SEND, make good progress in their development. This is because staff know them well and plan purposeful activities to help them excel from their starting points.
• Staff practice is observed by leaders, both formally and informally. The manager and deputy both work within rooms to help maintain staff ratios. This means that staff receive continuous coaching and modelling, so they are able to improve their practice, knowledge and understanding. Nevertheless, due to recent difficulties in recruitment and retention, many of the staff are new to their roles. Some of these less experienced staff occasionally lack confidence, and inconsistencies exist in staff practice because of this.
• Parent partnerships are good. Parents are complimentary about the nursery and staff team. They feel well informed about their child's development and that their children are making good progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to understand children's communication and language development, with particular regard to the use of dummies and how these can impact on children's speech
• consider the dedicated book areas within the nursery and ensure that these areas are inviting and books are in a good state of repair, to establish a love of literacy among children
• continue to foster the skills of staff who are new or less confident so that they develop their confidence, knowledge and skills.