Tops Day Nurseries - Havant

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff have warm, nurturing and caring bonds with children. Children feel safe and secure with their trusted adults. They know staff will provide them with reassurance and cuddles when they are unsettled, such as when there is a visitor to the nursery. Staff act as good role models for children. For example, they model how to take turns and support children effectively when they give it a go with their peers.

Children are keen to learn and they enjoy taking part in activities that capture their interests. For example, they eagerly take part in music and movement activities. Staff teach children to effectively manage risks in their play. For instance, young children learn how to master the climbing equipment while keeping themselves safe. Children learn to problem-solve through play. For example, staff model what to do when they find something tricky, such as when the bubble wand gets stuck. They encourage children to think of solutions. Children beam in delight when they succeed in pulling the bubble wand out from the tube.

Children take pride in their independence skills from an early age. For example, children gain more and more autonomy over snack as they progress from buttering their own crackers to slicing their own fruit.

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

• Children make good progress in their learning and development. Staff use observations and assessments of children effectively to identify any gaps in learning. However, some staff do not consistently use this knowledge to plan precisely for children's next steps in learning. Therefore, some learning is not tailored precisely to what some children need to learn next.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs met well. The special educational needs and disabilities coordinator ensures that staff provide children with the environment they need to succeed. For example, children use a quieter space and their trusted adult to help regulate their emotions when needed. This helps children to flourish in a way that is best suited to their needs.
• Staff support children's language development from the very beginning. For example, the youngest children learn to use objects of reference to communicate their wants and needs. Older children take part in small-group activities that develop their listening and attention skills. Staff skilfully introduce new vocabulary to children, such as 'stretchy' and 'sticky'. Children quickly learn the new vocabulary and are then able to use it themselves as they play with the resources.
• Staff take pride in their work. They seek opportunities to extend their own professional development. Staff eagerly share what they have learned and use this to actively enhance the provision. Staff, after a recent training, have implemented new projects. For example, they teach children to be curious about the world around them using skilled discussions around their new 'curiosity box'.
• Managers ensure that additional funding is spent effectively to meet the needs of individual children. They work in close partnership with parents and other professionals to identify what children would benefit from the most. For example, funding has been used to support children's emotional development through resources that can be used at home and within nursery.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They skilfully support children as they learn to handle minor conflicts. Staff ensure they validate each child's feelings when there are minor disagreements, such as over toys. They encourage children to consider each other's feelings. This provides children with the strong foundation they will need for developing relationships with peers as they grow older.
• Parent partnerships are a real strength of the nursery. Parents comment on the secure bonds that they have with the staff as a family. Staff go above and beyond to support the community and be there for the whole family. They support parents with home learning ideas by providing stories and games as well as supporting them with practical help, such as finding a dentist. This helps build the trust and partnerships with parents even further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance staff's understanding of how to use their knowledge of what children know and can do to plan more precisely for their next steps in learning.