Tiddlywinks Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Managers and staff work harmoniously as a team to ensure that children get the best start in their early education. They have designed the curriculum exceptionally well to meet children's differing and diverse needs. For example, they recognise that some disadvantaged children need a little support to give them a solid start in their learning. As a result, staff allow children ample time to practise and develop important skills, such as sharing and listening. This helps children to learn with confidence.

All children, including babies, are encouraged to be physically active in highly imaginative ways. They join in with 'wake-up and shake-up' sessions that get their bodies moving before a busy day of learning. Toddlers ooze with confidence and demonstrate a can-do attitude as they refine their jumping techniques. Children learn how exercise affects their bodies by feeling their heartbeats pumping, which prompts them to slow down. By the time children transition into the pre-school room, they are able to move their bodies with fluency and show increased coordination. For example, as children joyfully dance to 'Jimba Papaluschka', they use big, controlled stretches and move their bodies in tempo. The physical development curriculum has a superb impact on children, particularly those who were less active.

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

• Leaders, managers and staff continually strive for improvements and put children at the heart of everything they do. They know the community well and work closely with support networks, including the Sure Start Children's Centre. Together, they provide exceptionally high-quality care and education for children. They also encourage parents to access courses, such as 'The Incredible Years Programme', which has a significant impact on parenting skills. This partnership working sets children off to a flying start.
• Children's desire to be independent is truly enhanced through the seamless curriculum. For example, under very close supervision, pre-school children and toddlers apply their own sun cream. This helps them to manage their individual care needs. Older babies pour their own milk, climb the steps to the nappy changing unit and use cutlery with proficiency. Staff also work closely with parents, to promote children's independence at home. This consistent approach enables children and babies to acquire the skills and behaviours to do things for themselves.
• Staff use books and stories as a platform to introduce new learning. For example, following children's interest in a story about a rainbow fish, staff took children on an exciting outing. They went to the fish market to buy rainbow trout. As a result, children were able to touch, dissect and explore real fish.
• During the inspection, children talked enthusiastically about the different fish parts, such as gills. They also described how the spine was spiky and how a fish has a spleen. These exciting experiences help to deepen children's understanding and burgeoning interest in science.
• Children's awareness of healthy food choices is promoted extremely well. They devour wholesome meals and snacks that are nutritionally balanced. The catering manager telephones parents to discuss their children's specific dietary needs. She also works closely with parents to support their babies' individual stages of weaning. Parents are delighted. As one parent explained, 'staff helped me to wean my baby using root vegetables'. The manager also shares recipes with parents and offers food sampling sessions at parents' evenings. As a result, children are able to enjoy their favourite healthy meals at home.
• Leaders, managers and staff have high aspirations for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff get to know children from the onset. They work closely with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), who is an excellent advocate for children with SEND. For example, the SENCo makes prompt referrals to outside agencies, so that children receive timely interventions. She works with staff to devise precise plans for all children with SEND. As a result, they access an ambitious curriculum that is designed to meet their needs. This gives children with SEND the best start and helps them to learn exceptionally well.
• Staff are incredibly intuitive to children's emotional needs. They know that some children struggle to regulate their feelings and emotions. As a result, staff offer empathy and support to help children feel the warmth and stability they need. Early years pupil premium funding has been used to purchase resources, such as books about feelings and emotion cards. Staff use these incredibly well to help children develop self-regulation. This has a superb impact on their future learning.