Tots' Village Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This setting is at the heart of the community, with staff who continually strive to recognise, nurture and develop each child's individuality. Children quickly settle into the well-established routines, due to the tailored approach when they start. They happily play alone, as well as with their friends in the well-resourced learning environment. Children demonstrate high levels of achievement in all areas of learning.

Children's imaginations and creativity are enhanced greatly by enthusiastic staff. Children and staff work collaboratively to create exceptional play experiences. For example, children skilfully scoop, pour and mix mud and herbs to make a 'cake' for staff. They are encouraged to think about how to cook the cake and what to offer as a suitable accompaniment. They devise an interesting problem, which is shared with others and collectively, and think carefully about possible solutions. Children are really excited by learning and beam with delight as they are praised for their 'tasty cake'. This shows that children are confident achievers.

Children develop a strong sense of right and wrong. They understand the rules and high expectations of behaviour that staff consistently promote. For example, children wait patiently on the carpet for their name card to be raised before they join others in self-chosen play. They recognise their names with ease and happily engage in the innovative and exciting activities on offer. This leads to a calm and organised start to their day.

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

• The setting's leaders are inspirational role models. Their passion for hard work, attention to detail and excellent planning empowers the staff team to constantly enhance their already exemplary expertise. Each member of the management team has clearly defined roles and they work harmoniously together to sustain the highest standards. They rigorously monitor all aspects of the nursery, including educational programmes, staff practice and children's progress. The highly progressive and ambitiously designed curriculum fully promotes children's rapid progress from babies through to pre-school children. This helps to enable all children to make continuously outstanding progress.
• Partnerships with parents, staff and external agencies is a key strength. Parents appreciate the wealth of information that staff share with them to help support their children's development at home. The special educational needs coordinator gives the utmost importance to gaining advice from other professionals. She supports the implementation of timely and tailored interventions that enable children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to achieve their full potential.
• Children develop impressive independence skills for their age. For example, older babies get their friends a tissue to wipe their nose. Toddlers feed themselves competently at mealtimes and pre-school children manage their own coat zips and fasteners, as well as teaching their friends how to do it. Staff are always close by to guide and praise them. This gradual approach builds children's confidence to manage their own self-care needs.
• Leaders and staff place a high priority on promoting children's early literacy skills. For instance, families borrow books from the nursery's lending library, which helps to enhance children's comprehension of storylines. Babies giggle at staff's animated storytelling, showing their increasing excellent understanding. Older children create their own stories with hand puppets, which represent different emotions. All children show positive attitudes to learning and eagerly share what they learn.
• Staff expertly interweave different areas of the curriculum in their practice to extend children's learning. For example, children dig in the mud area outdoors. They spot a plant and shovel some soil around it. Staff skilfully note an opening to promote learning further and remind children about the importance of drinking water to stay healthy. Children then say 'the plant needs mud and water to stay hydrated'. In this way, children make connections with previous and new learning.
• Staff offer excellent opportunities for children to develop healthy lifestyles. Children love being outdoors in the fresh air. They have rich and exciting areas to explore, to build their physical skills and stamina. Children thoroughly enjoy nutritious and well-balanced meals provided by the nursery. They identify the ingredients and talk about their favourite parts, such as the 'crusty topping' on a shepherd's pie. Children experience opportunities to learn more about oral hygiene. They impressively remember facts from a dentist's recent visit and call the molars 'giant teeth'. Children understand the importance of healthy food choices, recalling that sugar is bad for their teeth and say 'teeth are for smiling'.