Tiny Treasures Day Care & Education

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy spending time in nursery. Staff greet children warmly and are attentive to their needs. This supports children's emotional well-being, and they show through their behaviour that they feel safe and secure. Children separate well from their parents and carers. They settle quickly into a range of interesting activities that are attractively displayed and capture children's interests.

The curriculum takes account of children's interests and continually builds on what they know and can already do. Children relish opportunities to explore different textures. They delight in mixing flour and water together to make dough. Children recognise that the mixture is sticky and gradually mix in more flour. They pound, roll and manipulate the dough into different shapes and recall cooking experiences with their own families. Children enjoy being outdoors in the garden. They use wheeled toys, such as bikes and scooters, with confidence to manoeuvre around their friends and obstacles in the garden. Children talk about safety near roads. They practise using the zebra crossing that is painted on the tarmac in the garden. This helps to build their awareness of their own safety when outdoors.

Children learn independence through everyday routines. They take pride in spreading butter on their crackers at snack time, and staff support them as they learn to pour their own drinks. Children make informed choices in all aspects of the nursery day. Staff recognise children's efforts and achievements, and children receive lots of praise and encouragement. This builds children's confidence and self-esteem.

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

• Managers and staff have made significant improvements since the last inspection. They have welcomed support from the local authority and worked hard to address the issues raised. Effective measures are firmly embedded to make sure that children play in a safe and secure environment, both indoors and outdoors. Managers and staff have enhanced communication between parents and nursery. Parents are now fully aware of the procedures for raising a concern. Supervision and monitoring of staff's practice means that professional development opportunities are sharply focused. This helps staff to continually build their knowledge and skills, which has a positive impact on their practice.
• Staff provide children with a stimulating learning environment. They plan activities that challenge children and motivate them to learn. Regular observations and assessments enable staff to finely tune learning for individuals, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work closely with other professionals involved in children's lives to ensure they access a wide range of learning opportunities and support to help them to succeed.
• Children learn to use small tools safely, such as scissors and safety knives at snack time. They enjoy rolling dough into ball shapes and add pasta for legs to make a spider. Children recognise different patterns, such as spider's webs and circles, and use their fingers to recreate their own patterns in flour. This helps children to develop their small muscles and helps to prepare their early writing skills.
• Staff are animated when reading stories to children that capture their interests. Children enjoy looking at books alone and with a friend and join in with familiar stories. Staff talk to children about things they have enjoyed with their families, and all children are encouraged to listen to what each other has to say. However, staff do not always consider ways to gain an understanding of what children already know, giving them information instead. For example, they tell children that a spider has eight legs rather than asking them how many they think a spider may have.
• Staff support children's awareness of foods that are good for their bodies and the importance of spending time outdoors being active. Children's dietary needs are well known, and the nursery operates a 'no nut' policy to ensure children's safety near high-risk food. Fresh drinking water is provided throughout the day. Children enjoy physical activity. They stretch to the sky, complete five star jumps and eagerly join in with songs, such as 'Heads, shoulders knees and toes'. This supports their coordination and the development of their large-muscle skills.
• Children's personal care needs are met well. Good hygiene routines are firmly established. Children automatically wash their hands at appropriate times during the day, such as before meals and after messy activities and time spent in the garden. Staff take children for walks in the local area, and visits are made to the local dentist. Children learn about the role of the dentist. Staff use this time to build children's awareness of the importance of looking after their teeth and visiting the dentist with their families. Staff provide children with toothbrushes and toothpaste to use at home. This helps to build children's understanding of oral hygiene and build good habits for the future.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to find out what children already know during activities to encourage their critical thinking and communication skills.