Tots And Scholars

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this exceptional nursery and make the best progress possible. Children become deeply engaged from a young age. Staff instinctively follow children's leads, allowing plenty of time for children to explore the resources on offer. Links between children's different experiences are paired seamlessly with the intentions of each room. For instance, babies look at photographs of their visit to the supermarket and identify the friends they see in the pictures. This is alongside them exploring the vegetables they selected on their outing. Older children work collaboratively as they grind and explore coffee beans. Staff encourage them to explain their understanding of the challenging vocabulary being used, and they respond without hesitation. For instance, they confidently share examples to illustrate their understanding of dehydration.

Children engage in deep discussions with visiting adults, talking about their favourite things to do at nursery. Behaviour is exemplary and children freely share their deep understanding of the rules in place. Children are involved in the general running of the nursery, giving them a strong sense of purpose and belonging. They take outings to the nearby pharmacy to ensure that the first aid kit is fully stocked. They complete daily risk assessments of different areas of their learning environment, and this helps them to take a lead role in the safety of themselves and their friends.

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

• Children's learning is expertly sequenced and becomes thoroughly embedded through the rich and varied curriculum on offer. Children build a deep knowledge and understanding of the things they learn about. Opportunities for them to extend their learning independently and through rich adult-led interactions are expertly delivered and supported by the whole staff team.
• Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive highly focused and exceptional support. All staff understand how to communicate with them effectively and recognise their interests and individual needs. Staff engage fully with other professionals and strive to provide the best support possible. Targets for children with SEND are realistic, but still ambitious. Staff celebrate together when children achieve these targets.
• The wider community and environment are a crucial part of the curriculum on offer. Children benefit from new experiences that provide a broad range of opportunities, tailored to children's interests and own needs. For instance, children explore a nearby corn field on a walk and staff then bring corn into the nursery for them to explore in more depth. Children become engrossed in peeling the corn and staff talk to them about the different parts of the corn, embedding new and relevant language instinctively as part of the discussion.
• Leaders are highly reflective and provide the best possible opportunities for the children who attend. They gather and use information about upcoming experiences for children to implement opportunities ahead of time. This enables children to make the most of their future life experiences. Leaders complete audits to ensure that opportunities are as focused and purposeful as possible. Staff wellbeing is intrinsic to the nursery leaders. They expertly use regular discussions with staff to tailor roles and responsibilities to match each staff member and help them grow their skills and experience further.
• Parents are highly complimentary about the passionate staff and leaders. They feel extremely well informed and speak about the expert support and advice they receive. Parents contribute to the tracking and monitoring of children's progress alongside staff. They are encouraged to complete and share observations of children's learning at home. Regular discussions between parents and staff help track children's progress and identify any areas where children may need more support. Thanks to this collaborative approach, children make exceptional progress in all areas.
• Preparing children to transition on to the next stage of their learning is a key part of the curriculum. This is the case for children moving between rooms, as well as preparing to move on to school. Through the highly relevant experiences staff provide, children learn to focus and concentrate for extended periods of time from a young age. They sit together, listening to stories and engaging in adult led small group tasks that challenge and extend their concentration and learning fully.