Twizzle Tops Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff engage well with children during their play. They focus on supporting children to engage positively with others. They role model kind and respectful behaviours which children then copy. For example, children help to clean and tidy up after they have decorated gingerbread people biscuits. Staff clearly explain to children what they need to do for their own safety and that of others. This contributes to a calm atmosphere where children can focus on their learning.

Children enjoy listening to familiar stories and get involved by sharing props about the story staff are reading them. Staff then further children's learning by linking art and craft activities they provide to the stories children hear. Staff also make relevant books available alongside other resources children use, such as in the construction area. This helps children to develop an enjoyment of reading as staff join them in sharing a book about their particular interest. Staff ensure that they teach children new words and language as they play, which helps to build children's vocabulary. Staff notice when children are struggling with an aspect of learning, and make alterations to what they are teaching. This helps children to work at the right level of individual challenge. Consequently, all children enjoy and achieve. Children are proud to celebrate their achievements and welcome praise from staff.

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

• The provider has ensured that good progress has been made since the last inspection. This has significantly improved the standards of care and education that children receive. Leaders support staff to develop the appropriate knowledge and skills they need to deliver safe and effective care. This ensures that statutory requirements are now met.
• Leaders have re-developed the curriculum for children to enhance the focus on helping children to develop necessary skills and knowledge. This helps to prepare them for the next stages in their education.
• Leaders monitor and support staff practice. They make clear and focused training plans and mentor staff to help to improve their practice. Leaders are aware of a need to continue to embed staff's learning around the newly conceived curriculum to ensure that it is delivered to a good standard.
• Leaders and managers have an accurate picture of the strengths and areas for further development of the nursery. They have clear plans in place to ensure that staff continue to deliver good standards of care and education.
• Staff get to know children well. They recognise their interests and plan play-based learning opportunities to help children to reach their next steps. Staff build trusting, supportive relationships with children as they join in their play and learning.
• Leaders and managers have a clear system in place to identify when children may need extra support to make good progress in their development, with a particular focus on their communication and language skills. They work with parents to understand where children are in their development when they first begin. Where children speak English as an additional language, appropriate strategies are used to assess and deliver support to help children to develop their skills in English.
• The learning environment and available resources indoors are of high quality and provider a broad range of opportunities for children to use them to make progress in the seven areas of learning. They are interesting and capture children's imagination, motivating them to engage well in learning. Outside, in the garden area that children use, the opportunities are less well planned. Consequently, children are sometimes less focused and engaged in learning during their time outdoors.
• Parents are satisfied with what the nursery provides. They receive daily updates on what children have been doing during their day and are asked for information about what they enjoy and can do at home. The nursery has opportunities for parents to borrow books and resources to help support their children's learning at home.
• Children have opportunities to be physically active, which helps to promote their health and well-being. For example staff plan visits to the local soft-play centre, take children out for walks and children have daily opportunities to play outdoors. However, there are fewer opportunities for children to play actively and develop their strength and larger physical movements when indoors. This means that children cannot practise some of their physical skills as often as they may like.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to develop the planning for delivering the currilculum outdoors, to help to focus and engage children more purposefully in learning when they play outside
• enhance the provision for children to practise their skills in moving in a variety of different ways so that they can more freely access these opportunities.