Tiny Tots Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and confident in this caring nursery. Staff build close relationships with children and value each child highly. They greet children warmly as they arrive and take time to find out about their interests. Staff use this information to provide activities that children enjoy. Children settle securely and are motivated to learn. Staff have high expectations of children. The curriculum is broad and rich. Children make good progress and learn suitable skills in preparation for school. Children develop good mathematical skills. Staff teach children shapes; for instance, they ask children which shape a cracker is at snack time. They sing number songs and rhymes to familiarise children with numbers. Children roll giant sponge dice, count the dots and do a corresponding number of jumps.

Children learn about difference. Staff teach children about different special cultural and religious events, such as Diwali and Chinese New Year. Children use a range of multicultural toys and resources. They develop a good understanding of the world. For example, staff help children to plant and grow beans in the garden and learn how things grow. Staff teach children about different seasons and weather. Children gain good physical skills. They climb, jump and move in different ways across cushions in a soft-play room. Children learn to steer and balance on wheeled toys. Children make good progress in all areas of learning.

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

• Staff support children's communication, language and literacy skills well. For example, staff teach children new words, such as 'crunchy' and 'sweet', to describe apples they eat during snack time. Staff read stories, sing songs and rhymes, and play group games to support children's language skills.
• Children gain good independence skills. For example, staff teach children how to put on and take off their coats and shoes. They teach children how to open containers in their lunch boxes. Children help to put toys away at the end of play sessions.
• Staff support children's creative development well. They give children pebbles to decorate with paint and children enjoy seeing the effects of this. Children make models from play dough and enjoy drawing using different tools to make pictures.
• Children learn to share and take turns. For instance, staff teach children how to use a sand timer to wait for their turn to ride on a wheeled toy. Children take turns to serve themselves fruit at snack time.
• Staff have strong links with parents. They work closely with parents to support children's development, such as behaviour management and potty training. Staff give parents daily comprehensive updates on their children's progress and offer regular parents' meetings.
• The manager supports staff well. For example, she observes staff's practice and meets with each staff member to give feedback to enhance their work. The manager identifies staff's training needs through observation and discussion with staff and provides access to a range of courses. For instance, staff attended a course on how boys learn, which has led to their greater awareness in this area.
• Staff talk with children about how they are feeling during morning group time. They teach children names of different emotions, such as by using a visual chart. Children develop awareness of a variety of emotions.
• The manager provides healthy routines for children, including nutritious snacks. Staff talk to children about the value of eating well and children learn about how to stay healthy.
• Staff use praise to encourage children to behave in positive ways. They share their expectations with children and children behave well.
• The manager considers the strengths and weaknesses of the nursery and identifies ways to improve. For example, she plans to enhance partnerships with parents to support children's learning further.
• Overall, children act in safe ways. For example, they climb the stairs with care and caution. However, children do not always understand the reason why they need to act in safe ways.
• Staff have started to teach children about oral hygiene; for instance, they sing songs about ways to take care of teeth and gums. However, this area has not been fully developed to support children's awareness further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen children's understanding of why they need to act in safe ways
• develop children's awareness of oral hygiene further.