Tiny World Arnold Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at this nursery. They are excited to see their friends as they arrive and separate easily from their parents. Young children demonstrate they feel safe as they approach familiar adults for cuddles and reassurance. Older children learn to keep themselves safe, for example, when staff teach them the importance of wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle. Generally, children behave well, and staff are consistent with their behaviour expectations. When children occasionally display signs of unwanted behaviour, staff help them to understand why this is not appropriate. This includes staff teaching children why it is important to keep their feet on the floor and not to climb on furniture. Children are becoming increasingly confident. They approach visitors with polite curiosity and ask their names. Older children offer visitors an opportunity to drink a pretend cup of hot chocolate in their role-play cafe.

Children enjoy a range of activities that staff provide. Younger children develop their small-muscle skills as they enjoy mark-making activities, such as painting. Staff encourage children to be creative and express themselves through their artwork. Older children learn about the world around them. They learn how to check the soil to see if it is dry. Staff teach them how to fill their watering cans from a water butt, and water the plants in the garden.

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

• Older children are becoming increasingly independent. Staff support them to serve themselves at mealtimes. Children recognise when they are thirsty and pour themselves a drink. Staff teach children how to use pegs to clip their aprons to the washing line when they have finished painting. However, staff working with younger children do not always recognise when children are capable of doing things for themselves. For example, they put children's shoes on for them and wash their hands without giving them a chance to try and do it by themselves.
• Staff support children to develop their physical skills. Staff show older children how to use their small muscles to roll balls of play dough and use cutting tools to make dinosaur shapes. Children practise their pouring skills as they use jugs to pour water through a range of pipes attached to a wall. Staff teach children how to use their feet and balancing skills to safely ride bicycles. Younger children develop their small muscles, for example, as staff teach them how to stack blocks to build a tower.
• Generally, staff support children's communication and language skills well. Staff speak clearly to younger children and use simple vocabulary. Younger children enjoy learning about a farm and repeat words staff teach them, such as chickens, eggs and cows. However, staff working with older children do not always use effective questioning techniques when talking to children. For example, they ask lots of closed questions to which older children reply, 'yes' or 'no'. This does not encourage children to think deeply and extend their language.
• Staff support children to develop a love of books and reading. Children choose from the range of books provided and ask staff to read with them. Staff pause to ask younger children questions and check their understanding. Children confidently talk about what they can see on the pages. Very young children enjoy listening to musical books and become familiar with different nursery rhymes.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are generally well supported. Staff work closely with external agencies and make timely referrals for those who need additional support. Children benefit from targeted learning plans which help them make progress towards their next steps in learning. However, staff working with older children who struggle with their communication, lack confidence in their knowledge and skills to fully understand how to best support these children. As a result, although children do make progress from their starting points, staff do not yet feel able to help children reach their full potential and make the best possible progress.
• Parents are happy with the care provided by the nursery. They state that their children are happy to attend the setting and enjoy the range of activities that staff provide. Parents say that staff always communicate what their children have eaten, and what they have enjoyed doing whilst at nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide further opportunities for younger children to develop their independence
• support staff to develop their questioning techniques further to enhance older children's thinking skills and extend their language
• focus professional development more precisely to ensure staff have the knowledge and skills to support older children with their communication.