Tinks Childrens Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and enjoy attending this nursery. Staff build positive relationships with children and spend time getting to know them. This helps children to settle quickly. As they transition from each room, they enjoy getting to know their new routines. Children engage in a range of sensory experiences, indoors and outdoors. This gives them confidence to try out new things and to explore using their senses. They learn about where healthy food comes from and why it is good for their development. For example, children bake cherry crumble from berries they pick from the fruit tree in the outdoor provision. They grow vegetables from seeds and enjoy visits to the local park to explore nature. Staff encourage children's communication and language very well through discussion and the use of open-ended questions. Children show a real love of books.

Children are well behaved and are motivated to learn. Staff listen to what children say and are warm, kind and caring. Staff use the book 'The Colour Monster' to engage children in a range of activities that spark conversation. This helps children to confidently talk about their emotions. Children of all ages show through their actions that they feel safe at this nursery. They take risks, persevere at tasks and overcome obstacles with support.

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

• The manager has a good understanding of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's development. For example, the setting has recently begun to take part in a project to support children's personal, social and emotional development and communication and language. Although the project is still in its infancy, staff are committed to their role in supporting children in these areas.
• Overall, the manager has a good overview of the setting. She has identified some areas of the provision she wants to improve. However, she has not yet focused her evaluation on the quality of education. As a result, some staff's understanding of the curriculum and what they want children to learn next is inconsistent.
• Most staff have a good understanding of how to support children's learning through quality interactions. However, on occasion, some staff are unable to adapt their teaching in the moment, to meet children's next steps as they emerge.
• Staff support children to develop their large and small muscles well. For example, children use their pincer grasp and tweezers to move coloured rice and pasta. Outside, children learn to pedal and steer as staff explain how best to avoid each other and obstacles. As a result, children demonstrate excellent coordination and are aware of the risks of cycling into each other.
• Staff use questioning and modelling effectively to support mathematical development. Children count as they play and know how to make new colours when mixing paint or printing with flowers. Children are developing their early mathematics skills for future learning.
• Staff reinforce positive behaviour and praise children often. They talk calmly as they reinforce turn taking. Children show respect towards one another as they play. They show a clear understanding of rules and boundaries.
• The setting has introduced good self-care routines for children to follow. Older children are able to independently use the toilet, knowing to wash and dry their hands afterwards. Children show the progress they have made as they move through the rooms and develop their independence.
• Staff are happy in their workplace. They feel well supported by having regular supervision and enjoy a range of professional development opportunities.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and manager ensure that children who need additional support and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are referred in a timely manner. Staff plan learning opportunities that help children to make progress, and gaps in learning are beginning to close.
• Staff work well with parents to support children's learning and development. For example, they follow babies' sleep routines. This gives babies good continuity of care. Parents comment on how well informed they are kept of their child's progress. They say staff go above and beyond and that their child comes on in leaps and bounds.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus monitoring of the quality of the provision more rigorously on the intent and implementation of the curriculum to raise the quality of education further
• support staff to adapt their teaching in the moment to help children maximise their learning potential.