Twinkle Stars Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate they are happy and feel safe in this nurturing environment. Staff support children's emotional development well. They greet them warmly and offer them comfort and cuddles at times when they are upset. Staff plan exciting activities with clear intentions and make effective use of assessments to plan next steps in learning. This helps children to meet their developmental milestones.

Children behave well and have a positive attitude towards their learning. For example, they show great curiosity as they search for ants in the garden. They enjoy using magnifying glasses to view and count how many they can see. Staff pose questions about what the children think these minibeasts might like to eat. This questioning supports children to maintain interest and attention in their chosen play.

There are a range of activities on offer to support children's mathematical development. Staff support children in recognising numerals alongside their understanding of counting. For example, children enjoy using numbered recipe cards to make play dough, counting out how many cups of flour, water and oil they need.

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

• There are many opportunities for children to develop physically. Children enjoy climbing through tunnels, spinning large hoops, running and navigating space. Staff support them as they play a range of team games, including 'hide-and-seek', 'Ring a Ring o' Roses' and 'Hop Little Bunnies'.
• Staff promote independence well. Children chop and peel their own fruits for snack times, butter toast and pour drinks from small jugs. Staff engage in conversations with children during these times, making this a social experience for children. Children are supported well by staff in understanding the importance of personal hygiene, when using the toilet and in washing and drying their hands before and after mealtimes.
• Staff generally engage well with children as they play. They use effective questioning to support children's imaginary role play and support them in creating a narrative for their play to continue. They repeat children's spoken words and phrases back to them. However, at times, staff do not plan well enough to model new vocabulary to children and do not always extend children's spoken language into full sentences.
• Staff have clear expectations for children's behaviour. Children respond well when the bell rings. They stop and wait for staff's instructions. Staff support them as they line up patiently for their turn for the toilet. Staff remind them of their expectations for sitting for mealtimes. Children enjoy the clear routines in place for safe and suitable ways to behave.
• Parents are extremely happy and feel fully involved in nursery life. They are welcomed into nursery regularly to attend workshops and to engage in social, well-being activities, such as exercise classes and cooking. They say the communication is excellent and they are given ideas on how to help and support their children at home. They are particularly pleased by the love and kindness staff show their children.
• Leaders show a passion for continuous improvement and have a clear vision for moving forward. They show dedication to professional development and have regular supervision sessions with staff. This ensures staff are receiving regular training opportunities to improve children's learning in the nursery.
• Leaders engage with a vast range of external agencies to support staff in delivering specific interventions to children and to support them with children's individual targeted plans. This ensures all children have opportunities to achieve the best possible outcomes, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The nursery is clearly organised to ensure children have access to a range of activities to practise skills within the curriculum. There is a dedicated space for children to regulate their emotions and relax, and a space to engage in circle-time sessions. Children enjoy the vast range of activities on offer. However, during free-choice time, staff do not consistently offer their full support to ensure children fully access all that is on offer to get the most from the learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• plan more effectively to support and extend children's early language development
• support children to fully access all that is on offer to them during free choice so that they get the best from the carefully planned learning opportunities.