Tiny Muddy Boots

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this friendly and inclusive nursery. The exciting environment and activities are thoughtfully planned to support children of different ages in all areas of their learning. Children show that they feel confident and secure. They make independent choices and show positive attitudes to learning. For example, children are thrilled to discover snails in their garden after heavy rain. They carefully observe the snails, share their knowledge and ask questions to find out more. Children are keen to develop their knowledge further by looking at books. They are inspired to go on a 'bug hunt' to discover other creatures that live in their garden.

Children develop close and caring bonds with the attentive staff, which helps them to feel safe. They receive lots of positive praise, which boosts their self-esteem. Children respond positively to the high expectations of staff and behave well. They learn to be kind to animals, as they care for the nursery's pet rabbit. Children benefit from a range of experiences, which help them to understand and respect different people and communities. For instance, they make regular visits to a care home for the elderly, where they enjoy activities such as art and singing, alongside the residents.

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

• The manager, who also owns the nursery, is passionate about providing high-quality care and learning for all children. She and the staff team regularly review the curriculum and how they can strengthen the provision. They successfully implement plans to further improve the outcomes for children. For example, staff have developed more opportunities for children to explore mathematics in the garden. This has enhanced the learning of children who prefer to play outdoors.
• Staff monitor children's development closely. They quickly identify where children require extra help to reach their full potential. Staff work alongside parents and other professionals to provide targeted support for children. For instance, staff deliver specialised, small-group activities to promote children's listening and attention skills. As a result, all children, including children who receive additional funding and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress.
• Children develop their communication and language skills well. They sing, share books and enjoy discussions with staff throughout the day. Children learn to be good listeners and confidently use a wide range of words. Staff integrate useful strategies into their teaching. For example, they use simple signs and picture cards, helping children who are developing their speech to communicate more effectively. Staff value other languages that children speak and work with parents to help them to become fluently bilingual.
• Staff provide consistent guidance to remind children about behavioural boundaries in the nursery. As a result, children understand what is expected of them. However, staff do not always explain to children the reasons why rules and boundaries are in place, to help children begin to moderate their own behaviour.
• There is a respectful culture throughout the nursery, where children's diverse backgrounds and abilities are celebrated. Staff find out about children's home lives and encourage them to share their experiences. For instance, children take the nursery teddy bear home for the weekend. They happily share photographs and tell their friends about what they did together. This helps children to learn about and respect the lives of others.
• Children learn positive attitudes towards being healthy and active. They enjoy spending time outdoors and speak knowledgably about eating healthy food and looking after their teeth. Staff teach children good hand-washing routines and support them as they learn to use the toilet. However, they could do more to promote children's independence with other personal care skills, particularly at mealtimes.
• Parents speak highly about the nursery. They say that staff are genuinely interested in their children and go beyond what is expected to offer them support. Parents comment positively about their children's development. For instance, several parents highlight that their children's language and social skills have improved rapidly during the time they have attended.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that staff provide consistent explanations about behavioural boundaries to help children begin to moderate their behaviour
• help staff to support children's independence with personal care skills more effectively, particularly at mealtimes.