Thrive Leyland Meadows

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a lovely start to their early education at this nursery. They are very happy, safe and well settled. The nurturing staff team get to know children well and form strong relationships with them. They teach children about behaviour expectations and support them to understand how their actions affect others. Staff are excellent role models. They demonstrate consistently good manners and respectful behaviour to everyone, which children then copy. Children naturally share resources and offer cuddles and reassurance to their friends when needed. Their emotional well-being is well supported which helps them to feel secure.

The curriculum for communication and language development is particularly well promoted. Staff talk and sing a lot to children, exposing them to a wide range of vocabulary. Babies are impressively chatty. They use a range of words and phrases independently. Older children hold lengthy back-and-forth conversations about a range of topics. They talk about their home life, recent outings and the things they enjoy about nursery. Staff recognise and adapt their teaching when some children who struggle with communication need simplified language. This helps to ensure that all children develop their understanding and become confident communicators.

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

• Leaders are knowledgeable and have a good understanding of what they want children to learn while they are at the nursery. They understand how to sequence the curriculum across the different rooms to help children build on their existing skills. Staff consider what children already know and can do when planning for their next steps in learning. This helps to prepare children for the next stage in their education, particularly their move to school.
• Ongoing monitoring of children's development helps to identify any gaps in learning. Additional screening tools allow staff to provide support for children who may be at risk of falling behind. The special educational needs and disability coordinator implements targeted learning plans for those children who need additional support. She makes timely referrals to outside agencies to ensure children receive the support they need swiftly. This helps children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make progress from their unique starting points.
• Overall, children show lovely attitudes to learning. Babies show impressive levels of patience when lining up to wash their hands. They roll their own sleeves up in anticipation of what is happening next. Older children concentrate intently as they carefully fill and empty containers in the water area. However, staff do not always recognise when some quiet and less confident children need more support to engage in purposeful learning.
• Literacy development is well promoted. Staff read to children with enthusiasm and excitement. They include regular pauses in their storytelling to encourage children to join in and to test out their understanding. Staff enhance storytime with interactive props and dressing up to help children participate. Children are motivated to take part and are clearly developing a love of reading. They are developing some important literacy skills needed for school.
• Staff help children to learn about the different things that contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Children share their ideas about the nursery menu's and learn about healthy food choices. They have daily access to the outdoor area and take part in a range of extra-curricular physical exercise classes. This helps children to learn about keeping healthy and contributes to their overall well-being.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Leaders work tirelessly to involve parents in children's learning from the start. They seek information about what children already know and can do when they first start which allows them to plan appropriately. Parents receive ongoing information about children's next steps and how they can be extended at home. Leaders organise 'grandparents day' to help include children's wider family in their education. This holistic approach helps to contribute to the overall good progress that children make.
• Leaders focus strongly on promoting staff well-being. Staff receive health and well-being days off throughout the year and access a range of additional support from the company. Leaders implement supervision meetings and provide staff with feedback on their performance. However, not all staff are aware of their individual targets for development or what professional development opportunities will broaden their skills further. Consequently, there are some minor inconsistencies in the quality of education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise when quiet and less confident children need more support to engage in purposeful learning
• help staff to identify their own individual targets for improvement and access appropriate professional development opportunities to support them.