Tick Tock Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff prioritise children's well-being, welcoming children back into small groups after the nursery re-opened during COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. As a result, children are settled and excited to come to nursery, separating from their carers with ease. While children's families are not able to enter the nursery building currently due to COVID-19 restrictions, parents are extremely positive about the nursery and describe the supportive contact they receive. Staff use electronic systems, telephone calls and contact during arrivals and departures to share information about children's progress with families.

Babies and younger children learn together in a dedicated area of the nursery where staff form close, caring relationships with them. Staff know the children very well and are warm, enthusiastic and work together as a team, often delighting in children's achievements and steps in learning. Children in the pre-school area show enjoyment as they sing songs and use instruments in a group with their friends. Children play together happily in the well-resourced outdoor areas, digging in the sandpit and developing confidence in learning to ride a balance bike. They learn to develop independence and to be part of a group in readiness for school.

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

• Staff recognise the importance of using books to engage children in developing language skills. Babies enjoy handling books with textures. Two-year-old children cuddle up to be read to and older children retell stories using props. Staff build on children's communication skills, introducing new words while they play. Children talk about 'big, gigantic dinosaurs' made with the play dough and pre-school children identify shapes, describing the 'pointy angles' of a triangle.
• Staff assess children's development and carefully plan individual support where it is needed, such as using sign language. Parents comment on how well their children's language has progressed since they started at the nursery. The manager leads staff in identifying children who may need extra help. As a result, staff seek guidance from other professionals and make timely referrals for support.
• Children show motivation and curiosity for learning. Staff demonstrate to pre-school children how to use pipettes to collect coloured water and children learn to persist as they develop fine-motor control. Two-year-old children explore how to fill and pour colourful rice into containers. Adults introduce new ideas, such as 'full up', 'more' and 'empty'.
• Staff ensure that children learn to be safe and healthy by using sun cream and sun hats and learning to wash their hands regularly. Children learn to become independent as they pour drinks and help themselves to fruit snacks. Staff identify where children need support in developing skills in self-care, such as potty training. Staff work in partnership with parents, who feel supported as children develop skills in readiness for their next stage in learning.
• Staff are attentive with babies and take account of their individual needs in nappy changing and sleep routines. Babies enjoy cuddles and respond with smiles when staff play, talk and show them colourful lights in the sensory area. While staff involve babies in activities, occasionally, they miss cues from babies for face-to-face communication. For example, during snack times, babies in high chairs do not always have opportunities to join in with children and adults. Furthermore, during some group times, babies lose interest due to their seating position, which prevents them from responding to an adult.
• Staff in the pre-school room support children's imaginative and collaborative play, such as role playing hairdressers. The youngest children in the pre-school room do not always have consistent access to a wide range of media and materials in order to develop their own ideas. Staff do not always use questioning effectively to facilitate children to express themselves creatively.
• The manager is ambitious to provide an effective curriculum for all children. She supports staff through training and uses her knowledge about children's progress to drive improvements. For example, staff develop the outdoor environments so that babies and younger children benefit from adults playing with them in quieter and shaded areas, while pre-school children explore mark making with water sprays.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop staff skills in effective questioning to help pre-school children explore their creative ideas, with consistent access to a wide range of media and materials
• further improve opportunities for babies to interact with adults during group activities and routines in order to enhance their communication and learning.