Tigers Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. They access a wealth of play opportunities that staff plan for them both indoors and outdoors. For example, they measure the sunflowers they grew in the garden and staff discuss the size with them. Indoors, children make leaf rubbings and explore play dough. Staff laugh excitedly with the children, role modelling expression of their feelings. Children laugh in delight back at them.

Staff care for the children attentively, supporting their emotional well-being. They offer warm hugs and speak softly to all children. They sing as they rock the youngest babies to sleep. All children feel happy and content. Children have strong relationships with staff and feel safe and secure at the nursery. Children seek out staff for reassurance when needed.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They support children to be kind and take turns with their friends. Older children help each other to clear the table after mealtimes. They work together to find solutions that mean all their friends are able to be included. For example, they find enough telescopes for their friends to join in the bug hunt in the garden. Children make good progress in the curriculum.

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

• Managers work hard to ensure staff feel well supported in their roles. They monitor all staff and provide opportunities for feedback. This supports the staff's professional development. Staff can access a wide range of training, including a physical and nutrition coordinator qualification. Staff feel motivated to take on new learning and training and implement this in practice. The managers have a clear and ambitious vision for the nursery.
• The curriculum supports all children's development and learning. This supports staff to plan for the sequence of children's learning. Staff plan engaging activities and opportunities for play based on children's current interests. For example, children hunt for bugs in the garden by turning over logs and peering through their telescopes to find some. Children are developing a love of learning that will support them through the next steps in their journey.
• Staff promote children's communication and language well overall. They get down to the children's level and interact with them warmly. They ask questions that promote children to think creatively and find solutions for themselves. However, at times, staff do not allow children enough time to respond. This sometimes means that not all children have enough time to process their thinking in time to answer staff. On occasion, therefore, children do not have the opportunity to make full benefit of their learning during interactions.
• Staff support and encourage all children to be independent. For example, older children pour their own drinks, while younger children master feeding themselves. Staff celebrate success with all children, giving praise and recognition for any new skills that children master. Children are learning to be self-sufficient and celebratory of their own achievements.
• Children listen intently to staff. They understand what is expected of them. For example, they know how to follow the rules indoors and outdoors. Staff teach all children the reasons behind the rules. This supports children to understand how they can keep themselves safe.
• Staff work in partnership with multi-agency professionals and parents. This supports staff to implement strategies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work tirelessly to ensure that plans are reviewed and updated frequently. This supports them to evaluate learning and set next steps that work toward closing any gaps in learning swiftly.
• Parents are extremely happy with the provision at the nursery. They say that they feel well supported by all staff and the managers. Staff work closely with parents to build relationships that support a positive outcome for all children. However, staff do not consistently ensure that all parents are aware of what their children are going to learn next. This does not help them to continue their child's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff's skills in recognising when to give children more time to process information to support their communication and language even further
• strengthen information-sharing with parents to communicate children's individual learning goals effectively.