Toddlers Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children of all ages enjoy their time in this well-resourced setting. Pre-school children are eager to talk to adults and their friends about where they are going on holiday. They tell them 'I will walk on the sand in no shoes.' Toddlers love getting messy as they spread glue on paper and plop a whole pot of collage material on top. Babies show curiosity as they tap a water mat and watch in wonder as things moves beneath their fingertips.

Pre-school children are helped by staff to explore using their senses. Children bash, rip and sprinkle a range of herbs into bowls and pour water on them to make 'Gruffalo crumble'. Children have fun as they use jugs and bottles to collect more water from the sink. They explain not to put too much in as the water will 'overflow' and, 'come out of the bowl.' Staff are friendly, enthusiastic, and overall have a good knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop.

Children display positive behaviour, listen to staff and follow the rules of the setting. Staff help children to share and take turns using sand timers, for example, to know when it is their turn. Staff are good role models and use positive praise to enhance children's self-esteem.

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

• Overall, children are well supported, and staff ensure that the needs of children are appropriately met. Staff join in with children's play and pre-school children are eager to tell them what they are doing. Babies and toddlers use gestures or take staff by the hand to engage them in their play. However, the lunchtime routine in the toddler room is not organised well. Staff do not always know where children should sit, or which water bottle belongs to which child. This leads to confusion at times and a delay in children getting their lunch.
• Children have lots of fun playing outdoors. Pre-school children show good skills as they carefully climb up the playhouse and exclaim to staff 'Look at me, I'm at the top.' They use scooters confidently, and safely, and weave in and out of the equipment, avoiding obstacles. Toddlers and babies develop their physical skills as they shuffle, crawl and start to pull themselves to standing on well-placed equipment and furniture.
• The provider and manager have a clear vision for this setting. Staff are supported through supervisions, appraisals and monitoring of their practice. However, the management team do not always identify where some teaching is not as strong as in other areas. Sometimes staff forget to differentiate activities. This leads to some activities being too advanced for some children or not advanced enough for others.
• Pre-school children are confident to speak with visitors as they tell them about moving to their new school. Younger children start to babble and use simple words or hand gestures, such as pointing to indicate when they want a drink. However, sometimes staff ask too many questions in quick succession. Children do not have time to consider their response before staff ask the next question or they answer the question for them.
• Partnerships with parents and carers are positive. Parents spoken with know who their child's key person is. They comment on the good range of information shared with them regarding their child's care and learning. Parents say they are given ideas on how to build on their child's learning outside of the setting. This is done verbally and using an online app. Parents comment on how the staff helped them to find positive ways to manage their child's behaviour. They state this has supported consistency between the setting and at home.
• Children form secure attachments. The key-person system is well established to help children to settle and develop bonds with adults and their peers. Relationships between staff and babies are sensitive, stimulating and responsive. Staff know the children well. They understand that tummy time is an important part of physical development for babies. Staff know that some babies do not enjoy being on their tummy, therefore, as an aid for strengthening their core muscles, they encourage them to stand on their feet or use the staff member for support.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the routines in the toddler room, particularly before lunch, to support a smooth and relaxed mealtime for children
• help staff to understand how best to support children to achieve as much as they can throughout the nursery
• use questioning techniques more precisely to allow children enough time to think and respond to questions asked to support their thinking, communication and language skills further.