Tots and Scholars Nursery and Pre-school Sullivan Way

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Inspirational leaders and dedicated staff work tirelessly to create exceptional learning experiences that embrace children's ever-changing interests. For example, when a group of children go on a camping trip with their families, staff are swift to create their own campsite in the garden. Children help construct tents to develop their critical thinking skills and create campfires where they learn about their personal safety and healthy eating when 'cooking' delicious meals. They share their experiences with their friends via the nurseries online communication system and look forward to comparing their 'camping trips' on their friends' return.

Staff provide children with exceptional opportunities to enhance their learning and engage within their local community. For example, children create written shopping lists to take to the local shops and purchase ingredients for the carrot cake they wish to make. Children regularly enjoy art classes with their elderly friends in the local care home and attend various cultural dance and music sessions. As a result, children have a strong understanding of ways of life beyond their own.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They treat one another with the same exceptional kindness and respect that they observe from staff throughout the day. Children routinely share resources and offer one another support and encouragement. Groups of children work together to complete tasks as they understand how cooperating with one another will enable them to achieve their desired outcome.

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

• Relationships with families are exceptional. Parents comment on how they are welcomed into the nursery 'family' by nurturing, knowledgeable leaders and staff. They discuss the wealth of high-quality, precise communication they receive about their children's learning and how this reassures them that their children's welfare and development is a priority for the team. Leaders successfully create and foster supportive networks among families. They hold monthly open days, where families attend exciting social events at the nursery, such as games nights and football matches.
• Children develop a deep sense of belonging and responsibility in their learning environment. When visitors enter, they greet them warmly and ask them to 'sign in'. As children arrive during the day, the nominated helper, along with staff, adjusts the register accordingly. They understand the importance of monitoring who is in their room and how this keeps them safe.
• Leaders and staff are passionate about providing high-quality care and education for all children who attend. They continuously evaluate their service, seeking feedback from parents, children and other professionals. They strive to develop the already exceptional relationships they have with families. For example, recent feedback from parents highlighted that they struggle to follow the setting's teaching ideas at home. Staff now share weekly online videos showing how to organise and conduct activities at home that will further promote children's development.
• Morale within the team is exceptionally high, with staff reporting that they feel appreciated and their knowledge and skills valued. Leaders encourage staff to develop areas of expertise that they share with colleagues across all the providers settings. Staff are incredibly enthusiastic about their involvement in children's development, and this passion is evident during all their interactions. As a result, children have an incredibly positive attitude to their learning.
• Staff routinely role model new and complex words, continuously extending children's vocabulary. Children of all ages demonstrate exceptional language and literacy skills. For example, when exploring how plants grow, children confidently explain how water 'hydrates' the plants and roots form their 'foundations'. Most impressively, children routinely identify the number of syllables in words. For example, in this same activity, they clap out how many there are in the word 'photosynthesis'.
• Children's emotional well-being is given the highest of priorities as staff understand the impact this has on their learning. Older children enjoy daily yoga sessions where they explore how taking deep breaths makes them feel calm and ready for their busy day. Younger children explore their emotions by looking in mirrors. They identify their facial expressions, how these reflect their feelings and how these emotions can impact their behaviours.
• Older children are incredibly competent mathematicians because staff create exciting activities to develop these skills. For example, they create a bridge out of numbers to help 'Jack' get to his beanstalk. Children confidently identify numbers and find those that are missing, writing them in to complete the bridge. Those that are ready, explore complex mathematical language, explaining what a 'dozen' is and understanding that this relates to the number twelve.