Twizzle Tops Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Babies and children are happy and content. Babies are inquisitive as they explore their surroundings. They enjoy feeling the textures of different materials, such as shaving foam and sand. Babies and very young children brush the teeth of toy dinosaurs and 'roar' at staff. Staff are kind and sensitive to children's emotional needs when they are settling into the nursery environment. Staff engage them in singing and stories. Babies learn how to handle books, and staff talk to them about the pictures.

Children are well behaved. They make friends easily and are sociable and independent. Children grow in confidence as they move through the nursery. Staff manage transitions well and support children to become familiar with the new environment and activities in the next room. Children form close bonds with staff and are confident to ask questions and request new resources.

Leaders and staff design a curriculum that is ambitious and takes account of the needs of individual children. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in their learning. Staff plan activities and resources that reflect the interests and experiences of the children. This ensures that children enjoy their learning and are motivated to learn.

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

• Staff assess children's abilities by using information that is obtained from their parents and their own observations. They quickly identify any delays in children's learning and provide appropriate support. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that all children make good progress.
• Children learn to become independent. They learn to manage their self-care according to their age and ability. Staff are very attentive and vigilant. They respond quickly to children's needs and remind them to wash and dry their hands and to use soap. Children are keen to please the kind and caring staff. They are eager to tell the inspector about their success in using the toilet, and they show how clean they have made their hands.
• Staff are vigilant at mealtimes and during activities. They are aware that some children are allergic to certain foods or substances, and all staff know how to keep children safe. Staff encourage children to share the resources and take turns. They remind children to wait for their turn to speak when other children are speaking. Children are polite and respectful, and their manners are good.
• Children enjoy doing things for themselves. They cut up fruit for their snack and have fun making fruit kebabs. Children use safety knives to cut fruit into pieces and thread them carefully onto long wooden skewers. Staff support them when some fruits are difficult to cut, and they teach them how to hold the knives.
• Children smile happily when they have filled their skewers with fruit and say that they are 'yummy'.
• Staff promote critical thinking. They encourage children to remember past experiences and solve problems. For example, staff support children to write a menu for their café. They ask children to remember what foods they have enjoyed and how to write them down. Children have clipboards where they can practise their early writing skills, in readiness for future learning.
• Children enjoy fun activities as they learn mathematical concepts and new vocabulary. They explore how they can make beach-themed pictures. They mix paints to make different colours and learn new words such as 'jade'. Children talk about the colour of seaweed and the shape of the sun. They carefully write their names on their work as staff help them say the letter names. However, staff do not always promote the use of letter sounds to prepare children further for going to school.
• Children have lots of space in the rooms for movement. They enjoy riding on tricycles and cars in the garden to promote their physical development. Staff provide interesting activities and wildlife areas in the garden for children to explore. Children have access to the garden area when the weather permits. They wear hats and sun cream in the summer. However, there is little shade in the garden, which limits the time children can spend outdoors. This does not support learning for those children who learn best outside.
• Leaders and staff develop good partnerships with parents. They provide parents with regular information about their children's learning. Parents report that the staff are very caring and their children are making good progress. Staff ask parents to complete questionnaires to help them to evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery. Leaders observe staff regularly and discuss with them if any improvements can be made.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• increase opportunities for children to hear the sounds as well as the names of letters to promote their early literacy development and help them to become ready for the next stage in their learning
• develop the outdoor play area and allow children more frequent access to outdoor activities, particularly to support children who learn best outside.