Tiny Toes Day Nursery & Pre-School (Hertford) Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily enter the nurturing nursery, and they are eager to participate in the stimulating activities. This immediately promotes their curiosity. For example, young children smother their hands and arms in paint and discover how this feels on their skin. They are fascinated by how the colour of paint changes as they add different colours. Children are exceptionally kind and caring towards each other from a young age. They are extremely respectful to each other, and they have a consistently positive attitude in their play and learning. For example, children enthusiastically welcome peers to join them to solve problems, such as how to secure the lid on a jar of herbs. This contributes to a very happy, calm and busy atmosphere within the nursery.

Babies explore the sound of dried cereal as staff demonstrate how to crush it. They use wooden spoons to bang bowls made from different materials, such as wood and wicker. Babies smile with delight and bounce their bodies in rhythm to the noise. Children have a strong sense of belonging. They fondly look at photographs of their families and of their achievements. Children are independent and show care and consideration for their environment. For example, they serve themselves lunch and carefully handle china teapots and cups during their imaginative play.

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

• From a very young age, children play exceptionally well together. They demonstrate that they have an excellent understanding of the importance of sharing and of respecting the needs of others. Children and their parents build close bonds with their key person and all staff. Settling-in arrangements are carefully planned to ensure they meet the unique needs of every child. Children's emotional well-being is given mindful consideration. This means that children settle well and are ready to learn.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on promoting children's language skills. For example, babies listen attentively to the songs and rhymes staff sing to them. This motivates them to babble and to begin making sounds. Staff respond positively. This helps babies to learn the pattern of conversation. Staff's use of questioning encourages younger children to respond and to practise the new words they learn. Older children use complex sentences to describe flowers in a vase.
• Staff know the needs and interests of children. They provide a rich and ambitious curriculum. Children learn where bugs prefer to live and which ones can fly. However, staff do not consistently respond to older children's spontaneous interests to build on their knowledge.
• Careful consideration is given to how any additional funding the nursery receives is spent to ensure it has the biggest impact on children's learning and development. Staff work well with parents to support children who speak English as an additional language, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps to ensure that all children make good progress.
• Children are involved in the local community. Older children have recently created a 'fairy' garden as part of a community project. This is currently displayed for the public to enjoy in a communal garden. Prior to COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, staff took older children to visit residents in a local care home. Children and staff have remained in contact throughout the pandemic. However, there is scope to enhance younger children's knowledge of diversity and people beyond their immediate experiences.
• Children benefit from a good range of activities to support their physical development. They enjoy healthy foods and spend quality time outside in the fresh air. All children learn to take manageable risks. Children also enjoy regular visits to the local park. They develop an increased control of a ball, and have fun jumping in puddles.
• The manager and the staff build strong relationships with parents. They receive ongoing information about their children's development and progress. Staff provide ideas on how they can help to support children's learning at home. Parents particularly appreciate the innovative ideas they received during periods of absence due to COVID-19, such as receiving sunflower seeds to grow at home with their children. Parents are highly complimentary of the nursery; they describe staff as 'amazing'.
• Leadership is strong, and the manager is sensitive and respectful in supporting staff's well-being. Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings and peer observations. They have access to training to develop their practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance opportunities for younger children to develop a stronger understanding of diversity to help them to learn about different traditions and people beyond their immediate peers and families
• support staff to recognise and to respond positively to older children's spontaneous interests.