Townsend Barn Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and staff are dedicated to promoting a curriculum that aspires for all children to become confident learners in all areas of development. Staff focus very well on developing children's communication and language, and they encourage their deep interest in books. Children excel in their speech, imagination and early literacy skills. All staff have completed a communication and language programme. This has supported them to skilfully deliver exceptionally high-quality story times through books and games. Children are deeply involved in the activities and demonstrate excitement, enthusiasm and exceptionally clear language skills from these experiences. Children borrow books from the lending library to take home and read with their parents, which has been a successful achievement.

Children are confident in exploring the superb opportunities to investigate activities and manage their own risks to thoroughly develop their thinking. For example, staff support children to create their own play dough. This involves pouring, scooping and mixing ingredients to explore how it turns from wet to dry dough. When there are spillages, staff are extremely supportive and quickly construct learning experiences. They ask the children what happened, how it happened, how they could fix the problem and what they can do to prevent this from happening again.

Children gain a deep understanding of the world around them as they engage in the inspirational garden that supports them to exercise and explore nature. Children have been involved in building various natural habitats, including a bug hotel and a hedgehog house, and a wealth of planting to grow their own produce and attract bees and other insects. Children understand the importance of nature and how to take care of it. They have expanded their enthusiasm for nature around the village, planting trees and caring for them on their regular walks.

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

• The highly qualified manager has implemented an inspirational curriculum and strives for high-quality early years education for all children. The manager's excellent leadership skills and innovative training opportunities for staff create a clear vision of how children learn to a high standard. For example, the manager ensures that children experience learning opportunities through their interests. Staff capture children's existing knowledge and develop learning further through well-structured activities. Staff ensure that all children have progressive targets to continually learn and succeed. The manager observes staff practice, providing detailed feedback to enhance their skills and support children's development further. The manager evaluates the impact of children's progress by assessing what they are gaining from their experiences.
• Staff build excellent relationships with their key children and families. They know the children very well and work closely with parents to understand their children's routines. Parents feel extensively involved in their children's learning through the good-quality handovers, parents' evenings and the online learning app. Staff work extremely well with parents to gain detailed information about what each child can do, providing a starting point in their learning. Staff use their interests to build well-structured, engaging activities to support their development. As children progress, staff extend activities and experiences to challenge children, enhancing their skills and knowledge remarkably.
• Children are extremely well prepared for school due to the excellent progress they have made in all areas of learning, particularly in their communication and language, independence skills and confidence. Teachers from local schools visit those children who will be moving up to school to begin to build relationships with them and discuss their early years outcomes with each child's key person. The manager supplies parents with a school readiness pack of information on how to help prepare their child for school, including dressing themselves, toileting and making marks, and information on the importance of these skills.
• Children are developing age-appropriate ICT skills. Younger children explore musical and investigatory toys. Older children access an interactive whiteboard and a computer. They play educational games and research topics they are currently learning about, such as planting seeds and exploring the primary school they are going to attend.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well considered. Staff ensure that children with SEND are continually included and encouraged to try new experiences. They fully support their needs by adapting activities extremely well. Staff value outside agency support and work closely with them to accept their advice and meet each child's needs. The setting's special educational needs coordinator works closely with each child, their key person, parents and outside agencies to ensure the children access the best possible support.
• Children demonstrate exceptional behaviour. They are tremendously polite to adults and peers, regularly using language such as 'please', 'thank you' and 'excuse me'. They respectfully sit alongside their peers at lunchtime as they delight in their hot meals and discuss the 'delicious' food. Staff address conflict exceptionally well, giving clear explanation and direction to support children's emotional well-being.