Tiptree Day Nursery and Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide children with a homely and nurturing environment in which they feel safe and confident. Children happily arrive and leave their parents with ease. This is because the secure settling-in procedures provide effective support to both the children and their families and promotes a smooth transition from home to nursery. Staff are caring and genuinely happy to greet children as they arrive. They invest time in getting to know the children and what interests them. The staff are good role models and children have formed positive relationships with them. Children make friendships with others attending and demonstrate good behaviour.

Children engage in activities of their choice. The broad curriculum is designed around their interests and builds on what they already know and what they need to learn next. The nursery ethos of encouraging strong bonds, respecting others, promoting independence, and being confident communicators underpins all the learning opportunities provided. There is a strong focus on communication and language. Priority is given to ensure all children can communicate, and staff are now introducing Makaton signs, which are understood by the children. Staff support children's communication skills through spontaneous singing groups. For example, young babies enthusiastically participate in song time and energetically use instruments as they participate in action songs and listen to rhythms and familiar songs. Staff repeat simple, singular words as they introduce new language.

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

• The quality of teaching is good. The management and staff team are committed to providing children with quality care and education within a fun environment. They all work closely together. There is a culture of using evaluations to improve the outcomes of children attending. Managers have a clear vision and plans in place for future developments.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive very good care and attention and make good progress. The nursery is fully inclusive, and staff work closely with outside agencies supporting children to ensure continuity of care.
• Children have immense fun wrapping boxes for Christmas. They decide this is necessary having bought gifts from their pretend shop. Staff are skilful in facilitating their ideas. Children show sustained concentration as they negotiate how to use the sticky tape and large rolls of paper provided, which proves challenging. They think critically as they problem-solve and decide to put the materials on the floor. Staff are skilful in supporting and understanding in-the-moment planning.
• Staff speak positively about their roles. They say they feel fully supported through regular supervisions and a management team that is 'hands on' and very approachable. They say their own well-being is fully considered and supported by the management team. Staff comment that their own professional development is encouraged to improve knowledge, and they are aware of the positive impact this has for the children attending. Staff are regularly encouraged to complete training opportunities.
• Parents speak highly about all aspects of the nursery. They say communication is good and that their children are happy and settled and make good progress. Many parents say they feel reassured that their children are in safe hands and comment on the healthy freshly-cooked meals children receive.
• Children learn the importance of keeping safe and healthy through daily routines as staff re-enforce these expectations. For example, children are gently reminded of the importance of holding scissors safely when moving around. They know to use tissues and put hands over their mouths when coughing, and to wash their hands afterwards. Children are provided with opportunities for fresh air and exercise daily and relish their time in the nursery garden. They learn the skills they need to dress appropriately for outdoor play and receive lots of encouragement, support and praise for their efforts.
• The session runs smoothly throughout the morning, and children are busy in their play. However, the organisation at transition times for younger children, such as nappy changing and mealtimes, means staff are sometimes busy with other tasks. Therefore, they are not able to focus on supporting the children in a smooth transition in preparation for lunch.
• Children access resources and books that reflect similarities and differences. As part of the nursery ethos, they learn to respect one another. The curriculum provides opportunities for children to learn about different cultures. However, there are fewer opportunities and experiences within the curriculum to support children's knowledge and make sense of the world around them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the organisation of transition times for younger children to ensure that all children are fully engaged at these times
• provide more opportunities within the curriculum for children to learn and understand the wider world and community in which they live.