Tiny Toez @ Westfield

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy coming to the nursery. Children and their parents and carers are given a warm welcome every day. Leaders and staff are determined to give children in their care the very best possible start to their education. Children typically have a smile on their face and enjoy taking part in the many well-planned and rich activities on offer. Children's individuality and uniqueness are celebrated. Leaders are highly ambitious about what all children can learn and do. Activities are planned to spark children's interest, as well as to help them quickly settle and get on with learning. For example, children show determination to rescue bugs from water play and remain deeply engaged for a sustained period of time until their task is complete.

Staff establish clear routines and teach children how to behave well. As a result, the way children conduct themselves is exemplary. They learn and play collaboratively. Children show care and consideration towards one another. The nursery's work with families is a shining example of how to make sure that children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), get the help they need. No matter what their age, level of need or starting points, all children achieve highly.

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

• Staff waste no time in getting to know children and their families. They work closely with parents to find out about each child's needs and interests. Leaders ensure that staff have the right knowledge to understand and support the diverse range of communities they serve. They keep parents well informed of children's learning and next steps. This empowers families to support their child at home. Parents are overwhelmingly positive. A parent summed up the views of many when she said that her child 'loves going to nursery; they shake with excitement'.
• Leaders have rightly ensured that communication and language are at the heart of their curriculum. Every child learns a rhyme, key words and story of the week, which is revisited time and time again. Children happily sing these rhymes in their play, consistently using new vocabulary. Leaders have created an ambitious and rich curriculum, which seamlessly weaves children's starting points and their interests together, as well as inspiring experiences and events that progressively broaden children's knowledge. Children revisit key concepts, so they are exceptionally well prepared for the transition to school.
• Staff use every opportunity to promote language. They do not shy away from using and revisiting ambitious vocabulary. Pictures, signs and symbols are used effectively to support children's understanding of new words and ideas. Staff are highly skilled in helping children to talk about what they know and their experiences of the world around them. As a result, children develop confidence in spoken language. For example, as they move like different animals, they talk excitedly about remembering that a squirrel lives in a nest called a 'drey'.
• A love of reading is promoted and prioritised by all adults. Children are introduced to a diverse range of high-quality texts through daily story time. Children enjoy sharing books with adults and do so often. Reading at home is also well promoted through the nursery's book library.
• Children become confident and competent individuals during their time in the nursery. Children invited and immersed the inspector in the activities on offer. From the sheer joy of investigating pouring water and mixing with paint to the intense study of insects and bugs, learning is everywhere. Adults know when to lean in and engage and, just as importantly, they know when to stand back and observe.
• Leaders ensure that there is a calm atmosphere throughout the nursery. Children are highly engaged in their learning. They concentrate for long periods of time whether they are working alone, with their friends or in adult-led sessions.
• Staff are proud to work here. They feel well supported and valued by leaders. They receive the training that they need to develop their teaching, knowledge and skills. They are confident in their roles. Leaders are mindful of staff's workload and well-being.