Tom Thumb Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and settle quickly to play with their friends. Parents come into the nursery to drop off and collect their children. They exchange information with friendly and caring staff. Babies are warmly greeted and snuggle in for cuddles with staff, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. Children develop strong nurturing bonds with the kind and familiar staff. Children make independent choices and access a range of well-organised resources. They confidently explore the spacious environment.

Children have a positive attitude to their learning, and take part in activities with enthusiasm and excitement. For example, after reading a story about fairies that cannot fly, older children begin to draw and decorate fairy pictures using a wide range of art materials.

Staff promote diversity well. The staff plan cooking activities weekly, which include traditional recipes to embrace children's cultures. Staff support bilingual children to use their home languages during their play. Trips in the community help children to learn about other cultures and what makes them unique. Children play very well together. They are kind and thoughtful. Children's behaviour is good. All children make good progress from their starting points.

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

• Staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and develop. They use their observations and assessments to build on what children already know and can do. Staff are clear about what they intend children to learn.
• Children demonstrate good memory and understanding as they recall previous science experiments, using oil and water. Staff promote opportunities for children to discuss what they already know, supporting them to remember key vocabulary, such as 'chemical reaction', when they create patterns using pipettes filled with vinegar, bicarbonate soda and food colouring. Children are inquisitive learners and develop good problem-solving skills.
• Staff promote children's communication and language well. They actively engage children in conversations, ask questions and give children time to respond. Toddlers are encouraged to add words together and learn new vocabulary. Staff enthusiastically share stories and sing with older children to increase their confidence in communicating. Staff babble with babies, use facial expressions, and introduce new single words during circle time. However, at times, some adult-led group times can be a little long, meaning that babies can lose focus.
• Staff plan exciting activities to support children to gain a wide range of physical skills. For instance, children make marks with pipettes, pens, brushes, and glue and pick up an assortment of different shaped stickers with their fingers. This helps them strengthen their fine motor skills. However, at times, staff do not to extend mathematical learning and vocabulary during older children's free play, particularly in relation to shapes, counting and measures, to increase their understanding.
• Children in this nursery are encouraged to be independent. For example, they develop good manners as they help each other at lunchtime and set up the table for lunch. Children are very independent, which develops their confidence in their own abilities. Staff teach children about healthy lifestyles. The cook prepares healthy snacks in the on-site kitchen. Staff talk to children about which foods are healthy. This supports children's health.
• Children's behaviour is good. Staff are positive role models. They provide lots of praise and encouragement to children. Staff model how to take turns. Children go on to copy the positive example provided and they share resources well.
• Parents are very happy with the nursery. Staff have built strong partnerships with them, and they feel informed about what their child is learning. Parents say that they are provided with good support for their children to get them prepared for their next stage of education.
• Managers seek training opportunities for staff to further develop their knowledge. Regular supervisions with staff are carried out, with targets set to support them in their roles. Managers support staff well-being and evaluate workloads. The staff report that they feel supported and a valued member of the team.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review adult-led group times for babies to reduce long periods of sitting
• build on teaching skills for mathematics to help older children extend their knowledge of new concepts, such as shape, counting and measure.