Twinkle Tots Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This is a warm and inviting setting with a real family feel. Children are eager to come to nursery and quickly join their friends in play. Staff quickly forge strong, trusting relationships with children and parents. They recognise when some children need extra reassurance and are quick to offer comforting cuddles. This supports children's well-being effectively and helps them to feel happy and secure.

Staff are positive role models. They model good manners and encourage children to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff help children to understand important skills, such as taking turns and sharing. Children behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. They are keen to join in with activities and engage in these for long periods. Staff encourage children to follow their own interests as they explore the wealth of activities and resources available to them. They engage in play alongside children and adapt their teaching to extend children's learning. For example, during water play, children talk about some of the animals that live in the ocean. As children add other objects to the water, staff promote discussions about sinking and floating. They give clear explanations about what these words mean. This helps to deepen children's understanding of the world and broaden their vocabulary.

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

• The setting has a well-sequenced and progressive curriculum for children at different ages and stages of development. This is an ambitious curriculum that ensures all children make good progress from their starting points and are well prepared for the next stage of their learning, including the move to school.
• Staff plan interesting activities for children to enjoy. For example, children in pre-school delight in baking cupcakes, while younger children enjoy playing with the bubbles as they wash the dolls. Staff model language well and ask children questions designed to extend their learning. However, they do not always do this effectively. For instance, they sometimes ask children too many questions at once and do not give them sufficient time to think and respond.
• Staff promote the importance of healthy habits in age-appropriate ways, including the importance of good hand and oral hygiene. They encourage children to become increasingly independent in their self-care. Staff sit with children at mealtimes as they talk about healthy foods. They ensure that children have regular access to outdoor play. Children thoroughly enjoy activities such as riding bikes, climbing and jumping, which supports their physical development.
• Staff provide ample opportunities for children to explore mathematical ideas through play. They sing number songs and model the language of number, shape and measure. For instance, they talk about moulds 'full' of sand being
• 'heavy'. Staff develop younger children's understanding of shape by asking them to identify simple 2D shapes and find them in the environment.
• Songs and stories are an integral part of this setting. Staff encourage children to join in with lots of songs and stories that support routines. They sing songs and read to children in ways that engage them in stories. Babies and toddlers enjoy action songs and sharing picture books. Older children join in with repeated refrains, recall events from familiar stories and make comments that show they understand what has been read to them.
• The setting works hard to maintain a strong partnership with parents. Parents praise the setting highly for the care, teaching and support it provides. Staff provide regular detailed feedback on children's progress. They encourage and support parents to extend children's learning and progress at home. This continuity of approach helps to ensure that children make continuing progress in their learning and development.
• Staff work alongside other professionals to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the support they need. This helps to ensure that additional funding is used to best support the children who are entitled to it.
• Leaders and managers are committed to providing the best levels of care and education for children. They value their staff team highly. There is an ongoing programme of training and support in place to ensure staff have opportunities to continue to develop their practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance and develop further the teaching strategies staff use so that children have the time they need to respond to questions.