Tots 'R' Us Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are extremely confident and very settled in the warm and welcoming nursery. They have an animated and positive approach to learning while enjoying a calm and appropriately structured routine. Children are clear about boundaries and show that they feel secure. They know what is expected of them and eagerly join in with everyday tasks. For instance, young children pour their own water to drink, and prepare bananas for their snack. Staff promote a strong sense of belonging for each child, such as when they create books with photos of their families. Relationships between staff and children are impressive. Children form firm friendships.

Children are fully involved from the start in the extensive range of exciting activities on offer, indoors and outside. Staff prioritise stimulating children's wonder about the world. For example, children observe the life cycle of tadpoles, help to grow pumpkins and investigate materials, such as ice. Children giggle and jump with joy as they explore the wonderful resources and join in with their favourite songs and rhymes. Staff use familiar books and stories to plan for children's exceptionally good learning experiences. Children develop a great love of books and an understanding of how to use them, to find out new things. This also supports the strong focus on developing children's communication and language skills.

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

• Managers and staff have a thorough understanding of what they want children to achieve. Staff use detailed knowledge of each child's interests and needs from the start, to motivate children's learning. Children concentrate well and keep trying until they succeed. For example, they practise throwing a ball into a hoop for extended periods. Staff have high expectations for children.
• Staff build on what children know and can do, for example, in mathematics and early writing, and offer challenges to help them reach their potential. All children make excellent progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The nursery is highly inclusive. Staff work closely with other professionals to secure early help for children with additional needs.
• Managers and staff share a vision and passion for the success of the nursery. They frequently reflect on their practice to identify continuous improvements. They consider the views of parents and children when making changes. For example, for children who prefer to learn outside, managers have strengthened the learning goals for outdoor play.
• Staff benefit from regular supervision, observations of teaching and professional development. They share individual learning with others, for instance, about how boys learn. Teaching is consistently outstanding. All staff use recent training in communication and language skills to help children develop as wonderful communicators. Children delight in conversations with adults and each other, contributing proudly during 'circle time'. Staff show that they value children's ideas.
• Staff take the lead in an area of the provision to help ensure a consistently strong approach to teaching and learning. For example, children enthusiastically practise impressive physical skills during daily exercise sessions. Managers ensure all children have access to dental care. Staff promote healthy eating and support families to contribute to this.
• Children learn life skills, such as washing hands after nappies are changed. Staff take account of children's views. For example, they ask permission to change a nappy. Children are becoming independent in self-care, such as putting on their own coats. Managers say that the purpose of the overall educational programme is for children to become 'independent, confident learners', in readiness for future learning.
• Children's behaviour is exceptional. Staff are positive role models, who offer plenty of praise. They help children to recognise and understand their own emotions and those of others. For instance, they use picture cards to illustrate different feelings. Staff encourage children to manage their feelings very well, for their ages.
• Partnership work with parents and carers is highly effective. Parents value the wonderful care and support they receive. They feel fully informed about their child's learning, through daily contact, social media and half-termly meetings. They welcome a new book every week and continue children's learning at home. Staff work positively with parents, for example, to help children reduce use of dummies or start toilet training.
• The nursery is very much part of the wider community, where children deliver food items to local residents as part of harvest celebrations. Children enjoy rich experiences that support them to understand about the similarities and differences between themselves and others. They find out about other cultures across the world. For instance, they try new foods and listen to and recall stories about children in other countries.