Tick Tock All Stars Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy at the setting. They settle quickly and become immersed in activities. Children have a good understanding of the routines and expectations of the setting. For example, as they arrive to their gymnastics session, children know to take off their shoes and coats and go and sit on the mat to wait for their instructors. Children behave well. They understand staff expectations, and their behaviour is age-appropriate. Staff provide reassurance for children when they become upset and take time to attend to their needs.

Staff know their children well. They support children to develop good relationships with their key person, which helps children to feel safe and secure within the setting. When children start at the setting, staff create individualised settling-in plans. Staff gather information from parents about the skills they already have and use this information to plan activities and experiences children will enjoy.

Children's work and photos are displayed around the setting, which gives them a real sense of belonging. During play, children talk about the photos on the wall, seeking staff out to name what is in the photo and repeating words back to them. This helps to develop children's language skills.

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

• Staff seek to create a language-rich environment. They narrate what is going on throughout the day to younger children, exposing them to spoken words and building on their vocabulary. Staff invite children to join in with conversations. However, this is not consistent across the whole staff team. Therefore, children have different experiences throughout their day at the setting.
• The managers and staff at the setting work well with the local community, offering children and their families a wide range of activities and experiences. For example, the local gymnastics club provides children with the opportunity to develop their physical skills further. Children also develop their listening skills as they follow the instructions given by the gymnastics teachers.
• Children develop their knowledge of personal hygiene from a young age. The setting has joined an oral health initiative, and children are encouraged to brush their teeth daily at the setting. All children are provided with healthy meals and snacks in accordance with healthy eating guidelines. Children play in the outside space daily. They plant vegetables, which are harvested and used in their home-cooked meals. This develops children's knowledge of where their food comes from.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with parents, key workers and professionals to create targets to support development. Families are introduced to strategies to be used both at home and at the setting. This ensures continuity and consistency for children.
• Overall, staff plan activities well, and they support development. However, during some planned activities, some staff do not implement the planned learning consistently. For example, during an activity about fire safety, staff did not talk to children about the activity. Consequently, children do not understand what is expected of them, and the activity does not fully meet the desired outcomes.
• Staff provide children with opportunities to learn about the world and community around them. A range of festivals and cultural experiences are celebrated at the setting, which is extended further by trips out. For example, children visit the local Gurdwara temple to learn more about Sikhism.
• Parents are complimentary of the setting and the learning that takes place. They quickly notice the progress their children make. Parents comment on the friendly and approachable nature of the staff team and therefore return to the setting with siblings.
• The manager and owner have recognised that changes to the staff team have had an impact on the quality of the provision. They are working closely with the local authority to build on staff knowledge and practice. The manager and owner are highly reflective of the setting and have clear plans in place to build and improve the setting further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• work with staff to implement strategies to develop children's language skills consistently across the setting
• strengthen staff skills and knowledge to ensure activities support children to gain the skills and learning intended.