Tip Top Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have high expectations for all children in this welcoming and inclusive environment. They have formed strong bonds with their key children. Staff praise children's positive behaviour, efforts and achievements, which helps children to feel good about themselves. Staff respond swiftly to babies' needs. For example, when babies are tired or upset staff provide cuddles and gentle words to soothe them. Children demonstrate they feel safe and happy and are confident to initiate and choose their play. They take turns, share resources willingly and play cooperatively. Children's knowledge is enriched as they learn about other cultures and traditions.

Children persevere with tasks. For example, they manipulate dough and use new tools to create models and different shapes. They show pride in their achievements. Children are starting to show an interest in numbers and counting through familiar songs and counting objects during play. Some of the older children are able to add one more as they begin to use early calculation. Children learn about the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise. Overall, the effective range of learning opportunities and quality of teaching help prepare children well for the next stage in their learning, including their eventual move on to school.

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

• Children's behaviour is managed well. Staff are consistent in their approach and speak to children in a calm and sensitive manner. Children behave well.
• Staff organise the vibrant learning environment well to capture children's interests, and enable them to access toys and resources independently. Staff make regular observations and assessments of children's learning and plan effectively for each child's individual learning.
• Children demonstrate good pencil control as they draw pictures and make marks. Children who prefer to learn outdoors enjoy the wide range of resources and activities that staff provide.
• Overall, staff promote children's language development well, including for those who are learning to speak English as an additional language. They help to promote children's early reading skills. For example, in the pre-school room staff read stories in exciting and interesting ways. They make good use of props and children are very motivated and excited as they become engrossed in the storyline. Children work as a team, recalling the story, repeating refrains and acting out the parts of the characters. However, occasionally, in the toddler room, children are distracted from listening to and concentrating on adult-led activities due to other activities taking place in the same vicinity simultaneously.
• The experienced staff effectively develop babies' communication skills. They consistently comment on what the children are doing and repeat their vocalisations. This reinforces that their sounds are important and convey meaning. Babies giggle and engage with staff as they show them how to use resources in different ways. For example, they teach them how to bang blocks together to make a sound or to use them to build a tower.
• Children learn to do things for themselves. For example, they can tidy up after themselves and wash their hands.
• Children enjoy a range of activities that encourage them to be physically active. For example, outdoors they run, jump and manoeuvre around obstacles.
• Parents are pleased with the progress their children make in the nursery. They say their children make good progress, particularly in developing confidence and communication skills. However, staff do not always fully support parents to help accelerate children's acquisition of toileting skills at home.
• The enthusiastic and dedicated managers have developed effective systems for monitoring the quality of teaching. They also monitor children's learning and development closely. They provide regular coaching and training for staff to help improve their knowledge and outcomes for children in their care. Their regular evaluation of the service provided takes account of the views of children, parents and staff. All children make good progress from their individual starting points.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve children's opportunities to listen and concentrate without distraction during adult-led activities, in particular in the toddler room
• work more closely with parents to share strategies to help to accelerate children's acquisition of toileting skills.