Tiger Lily Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at nursery. Staff put a strong focus on the emotional security of children. They provide plenty of reassurance to ensure children feel safe, secure and happy. Children settle well and grow in confidence. They proudly announce, 'I love nursery'. Staff promote children's independence well. For example, children use jugs competently as they pour drinks of water for their friends at lunchtime. Children choose which activities and resources they want to play with, and staff encourage them to tidy up at the end of the session.

Staff plan activities and experiences which follow children's current likes and interests. Older children join in excitedly as staff read a favourite story about a hungry caterpillar. Children call out repeated refrains and are keen to say what they see, or what will happen next. This helps children to develop an early love of books and stories. Following the story, children relish the opportunity to join in activities based on it. They develop their small-muscle skills as they create caterpillars with dough and use potatoes and paint to print their own colourful butterflies. Children enjoy plenty of time playing outside in all weather. They laugh enthusiastically as they jump and splash in puddles following a recent rainfall. They practice filling, pouring, and emptying as they use a variety of containers in a water tray.

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

• A strong management structure ensures staff fulfil their roles and responsibilities effectively. Staff appreciate the support that leaders provide. Managers set up regular review meetings with staff to discuss well-being and to set training agendas. This helps staff to develop their skills further to improve outcomes for children.
• Staff implement effective educational programmes which they adapt to suit each age group. They know children very well. This means they understand what each child already knows and what they need to learn next. Staff plan a range of activities to help children to achieve their next steps in learning. Overall, children join in enthusiastically with the experiences on offer. However, at times, they lose focus between activities or when resources become depleted.
• Children learn to behave well. Staff encourage them to follow the 'golden rules' at nursery. Children play cooperatively with their friends, sharing and taking turns with resources. Staff provide plenty of praise and rewards, such as stickers, when children behave positively. This also helps children to develop high self-esteem.
• Staff carry out daily risk assessments to ensure that the areas in which children play are safe. There are effective accident, injury and sickness procedures in place to further promote children's welfare.
• Staff support children to develop strong physical skills. They encourage the youngest children to strengthen their bodies by lying on their tummies, sitting, or pulling themselves up to a standing position to take their first tentative steps. Older children become more adept at movement as they balance on tyres and wooden beams.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive dedicated support. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals involved in children's care. Staff plan and deliver experiences focused on shared targets. As a result, all children, including those in receipt of additional funding, make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff encourage children to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. Children benefit from daily fresh air and physical exercise. Staff provide nutritious snacks and meals to further support children's good health. Children know to wash their hands with soap before eating and after toileting.
• Staff place a high priority on developing children's communication and language skills. They consistently talk to babies and the youngest children, modelling new words and language. Staff working with older children ask questions and engage children in conversation. Children of all ages join staff to sing songs and rhymes.
• Parents are very complimentary about the nursery. They say they have daily feedback from staff through conversations at collection time and by accessing two electronic apps which provide ongoing information about their child's care. Parents state that their children thoroughly enjoy attending. However, there is scope for staff to share further developmental information with parents to help them to build on children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend parent partnerships even further to establish a more collaborative approach to maximise children's learning
• consider ways to refine planning to consistently engage children in play and learning at times when children lose focus.