Tiny Toez @ Tamworth

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children warmly into the nursery. They plan the environment effectively around children's interests, which sparks their curiosity and enjoyment. All staff know the children well. They reassure children when they are feeling a little unsure. Children quickly settle and are ready to explore. Managers and staff place a strong emphasis on promoting children's communication and language. For example, staff provide a dedicated learning space for children, with a quiet area where they focus on developing children's vocabulary. This enables all children, including children who speak English as an additional language, to build effective communication skills.

Staff have high expectations for all children. Children thrive as they explore the activities. For instance, they enthusiastically participate in counting games together. They successfully count the correct number of conkers and anticipate the next number as staff support them in developing their awareness of mathematical concepts.

Staff are positive role models. They provide children with clear rules and boundaries that they follow well. Staff respect children's individual needs and respond swiftly to their personal care needs. Younger children show excitement as they participate in a singing session. They each choose a partner to rock with in their pretend boats, as they sing along to nursery rhymes. This helps children to develop positive social interactions with their friends.

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

• Managers and staff have an ambitious vision to provide high-quality, inclusive care for all children who attend nursery. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with professionals and parents to ensure any children who have delays in their development have appropriate plans in place to help them make expected progress. Managers use additional funding to positively impact on children's individual needs and development.
• Staff receive regular support in their roles and attend supervision meetings to discuss their professional development, key children and well-being. Most staff model high-quality practice. However, some less confident staff do not always provide the same high-quality practice. For example, there are times during activities when some staff do not always build on what children already know. Some staff are too quick to answer for children. This means that not all children have the opportunity to respond and to develop their knowledge and understanding further to make maximum progress in their learning.
• Parents share positive feedback about the care their children receive. They comment that staff go above and beyond for their key children's needs. Staff are respectful and value parents' wishes. They share regular updates on their children's learning to ensure they work collaboratively together to support children's individual needs at home and at nursery.
• Children follow instructions during routine times of the day and sit with their friends for group time. Staff clearly explain to the children what is happening next. However, when staff are teaching, some children quickly disengage as there are too many distractions around them, such as from other staff carrying out their daily tasks or children going home. This results in some children not remaining highly engaged in their learning as they lose their focus.
• Children enjoy a range of activities that introduce them to different cultural events that their friends or others may celebrate. For example, children explore sensory trays with objects from China as they learn about the Lunar New Year. Children develop an awareness of the wider world when staff take them on local visits, such as to the church, to learn about different religions and their wider community.
• Staff recognise the importance of teaching children about their emotions and how to talk about them. For example, they provide older children with worry worm toys that they can hold and talk to and share how they are feeling. This helps children to learn how to express themselves and develop an understanding as they build on their confidence to share their feelings.
• Children thoroughly enjoy themselves as they explore the outdoors with their friends. They ride together on their bicycles along the path or sit in the natural area where they watch the birds. Staff encourage children to be physically active as they copy actions, such as splashing in puddles. They talk to children about how this affects their bodies, such as making their hearts beat faster. This helps children build an awareness of how their bodies function.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• refine professional development support for staff to help them continue to embed high-quality teaching to raise the quality of education even further
• review the organisation of some routine activities to ensure children can continue to remain engaged and focused in their learning.