TicTots Day Nursery & Creche

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive excitedly arrive at the nursery, where staff greet them warmly. Babies giggle as they play hide and seek in a cardboard box. They make marks with chalk and listen to the sounds as they bang objects together. Toddlers delight in exploring the texture of dough. They squeeze and squash the dough to make 'ice creams' and in turn develop the muscles in their hands in readiness for writing. Pre-school children concentrate intently as they use a pipette to transfer water. They persevere in this challenging task, showing a positive can-do attitude.

Children behave very well for their age. Staff use clear and consistent reminders, for example, for children to use their 'walking feet', 'listening ears' and 'kind hands'. This helps children to understand what is expected of them and learn right from wrong.

Leaders recognise the potential impact of the pandemic and have adjusted their curriculum to reflect this. Huge attention has been given to supporting children's personal and social skills so that children can grow in confidence as they explore their surroundings and environment. Additionally, staff recognise that some children require additional support in further developing their language and physical skills.

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

• Staff give excellent consideration to nurturing children's emotional literacy. They provide a wealth of activities and discussion opportunities to help children learn about their feelings and how to manage their emotions. Children confidently chatted to the inspector, telling her that they were feeling happy and why. Children successfully learn to develop empathy for others as they discuss how they could make others feel better.
• Children participate in walking a daily mile, which ensures that children of all ages engage in physical exercise. Furthermore, children have the opportunity to participate in weekly swimming lessons, where they learn to develop essential life skills. Children thoroughly enjoy yoga and mindfulness sessions. Pre-school children expertly model the 'downward dog' and participate in breathing activities to help them engage and focus on their learning. A unique key-person system aids children's transitions wonderfully. These superb opportunities contribute significantly to children being exceptionally happy, settled, safe and secure.
• Children's uniqueness is warmly celebrated by staff who are attuned to children's individual needs and their characters. Children learn about their peers and the special events in their lives such as Eid, Chinese New Year and Christmas. Staff provide children with special books that reflect their heritage and culture. Staff help children to recognise when their friends may need additional support. For example, children learn new ways to communicate with them, such as using sign language.
• Overall, communication and language are taught well. Staff have implemented a wealth of strategies that help children to make progress in their language development and have recognised where children may need additional support. Close partnership work with parents and other professionals helps children to make good progress in this area of learning. Staff ask thought-provoking questions, provide a running commentary as children play and use labelling and repetition. However, occasionally, staff do not model the correct pronunciation of words to further enhance children's emerging communication and language skills.
• Children benefit from a broad and rich curriculum that focuses on children's needs, likes and dislikes. Staff successfully gather very detailed and pertinent information when children first start and use this to inform planning from the outset. Activities are planned to help children to make good progress and master essential skills needed for the future. Occasionally, however, the implementation of some activities, particularly in the toddler room, means that some children become distracted. They sometimes lose concentration and therefore do not engage fully in the learning opportunities provided.
• Staff feel very well supported in their roles. They benefit from regular staff meetings, supervision discussions and continuous observations of their practice. They are encouraged to engage in many training opportunities that have a positive impact on outcomes for children. For example, staff have attended 'myHappymind' training which has contributed significantly to children's well-being. Leaders and staff are passionate and dedicated practitioners, and children are clearly at the heart of everything that they do.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to further develop their understanding of the importance of modelling the correct pronunciation of words to aid children's emerging communication and language skills even further
• refine the organisation of some activities so that children are able to engage fully in the learning opportunities provided.