Tots R Us

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this calm and welcoming nursery. Staff help them to become enthusiastic and independent learners and have high expectations for all. Staff provide precise levels of support and challenge that meet every child's individual learning needs, particularly during planned activities. Children also benefit from access to purposeful and exciting activities in all areas, during independent play. For example, children help to make the play dough that they and their friends can choose to play with later.

Staff place a high priority on meeting children's emotional needs. They know that some children struggle to regulate their feelings and emotions. Children receive empathy and support from staff. This gives them the warmth and stability they need. There are designated places within the nursery that children can go to, should they need support to manage their feelings. Resources are provided to help children to express themselves appropriately and effectively understand emotions. Children behave well because they are learning to appreciate their friend's individual wants and needs. In addition, staff ensure children learn how to be safe. For instance, they remind children to be careful when travelling around some areas of the nursery and to use 'walking feet', so that they do not hurt themselves or others. Children effectively learn to respect and consider others' feelings.

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

• The managers understand how children learn and develop. They have implemented a curriculum that considers the varied age and stage of the children that attend. For example, children take part in carefully planned games. Younger children focus on making relationships and sharing, while older children learn to take turns and accept that they may not always win. Staff skilfully weave other key learning into these activities, such as counting and other mathematical vocabulary associated with size and shape.
• Children that attend regularly arrive with big smiles on their faces and settle immediately into exploring the wide range of experiences and opportunities available to them. However, at times, due to the number of newer children settling in simultaneously, staff are not always able to support everyone effectively.
• Children learn new vocabulary as staff teach them about what makes them stay healthy. For example, staff use the word 'honeydew' to describe the specific variety of melon, that they help prepare for snacks. Staff encourage children to discuss important aspects of maintaining good oral health, as well as hearing the associated key language. Children speak clearly and informatively to reflect staff's excellent language modelling.
• Children enjoy the wide range of activities on offer and staff encourage them to solve problems and make predictions in their learning. For example, they place water outside and make decisions as to whether it will have frozen in the morning. Staff encourage them to explore and enquire, as they add different things to the ice. There are times, however, where staff do not consistently check children's understanding and offer them the correct information if there are any misconceptions, to help strengthen children's knowledge and understanding further.
• Staff regularly provide a variety of meaningful opportunities for children to gain a deeper understanding of their local community and the world in which they live. For example, they plan trips to the nearby café, farmyard, and forest school. Within the provision, children find out about other cultures and the wider world. For instance, they share books and stories and explore the globe, to find out about other regions and climates.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well by the staff. Leaders work closely with staff, parents, and other professionals to implement children's individual plans. Children with SEND are consistently supported and make good progress.
• The leaders ensure that they are reflective of their practice. They have an ambition to constantly improve practice and to provide high-quality experiences for children. For example, the manager has recently attended training on the updated 'Prevent' duty guidance. As a result, she has implemented further opportunities for staff to embed the fundamental British values. This helps children to further extend their treatment of others with respect and kindness.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and strengthen the arrangements for how staff settle children to further promote children's well-being
• support staff to recognise the importance of correcting any misconceptions to further develop children's language and understanding.