Twynham House Nursery School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children securely develop confidence in their own identity. They learn the importance of respect, appreciation and tolerance for others. For example, staff carefully choose books to read that celebrates and represents the life and experiences of each unique child in the nursery. Through stories, children learn about similarities and differences between themselves and others.

Leaders place diversity and inclusion at the heart of their curriculum. They thoughtfully structure routines, to ensure at mealtimes children build on what they already know about the world through the food they eat. For instance, at lunchtime children enjoy dishes from a variety of places and cultures. This helps them to deepen their knowledge about communities beyond their own. This supports children to develop a strong understanding of fundamental British values.

Staff ensure children's everyday experiences help them to become independent. On arrival, children sign themselves into the nursery and greet staff with a big welcome. Children master walking up and down the stairs safely, developing their balance and muscle strength. They learn overtime how to assign one foot to each step as they grow. Children take responsibility for setting the table, cutting their own fruit and vegetables and pouring their own drinks. Staff work closely with children to help them make progress in managing their own self-care and hygiene routines. This ensures that children develop the knowledge and skills they need to be ready for their next stage.

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

• Leaders support staff effectively through careful coaching and mentoring. They nurture staff's thoughts and ideas, to develop areas of their well-sequenced curriculum. For example, staff create a growing garden to introduce real plants and creatures for children to explore, observe and take care of. Children enjoy watering the plants and finding worms in the soil. This motivates staff to develop their practice through the project work they take ownership of. This means that the curriculum is delivered well, overall, ensuring children receive a high-quality early years education.
• Children feel confident and motivated to engage in a wide range of experiences available to them. For instance, staff teach children how to use real tools responsibly. Children learn how to make holes in pieces of wood using hand drills safely. This means they develop the skills they need to manage their own risks in their play and keep themselves safe.
• Staff enthusiastically introduce new ideas and skills, which excites children and sustains their engagement. However, occasionally, explanations and demonstrations are not sufficiently clear enough for older children. For example, staff do not always help children to understand the purpose of their learning and explain how they can increase their skills, such as when using scissors. This means children do not always make the necessary connections to understand what is expected or enable them to increase their skills.
• Staff support children's speaking and listening skills effectively. They often engage in meaningful conversations with children, extending their language and introducing new vocabulary. Staff use assessment well to identify children who are at risk of delay and provide robust interventions where needed. Consequently, children make the progress they are capable of.
• The curriculum for personal, social and emotional development is effective in many ways. For example, staff build warm, trusting relationships with children. Games, such as rolling a ball and calling a friend's name, help children to get to know one another and develop secure friendships. Staff are sensitive to children's emotions and often step in quickly to redirect play, which helps to maintain harmony. However, this sometimes means children do not have enough time or support to put their own feelings into words or to practise strategies for managing them. This reduces opportunities for children to develop these important skills through the curriculum.
• Leaders value the crucial role parents play in the partnership working between home and the nursery. Leaders actively listen to feedback from parents to ensure that children have a strong start to their early years education. For instance, parents enthusiastically share their family experiences through photos, messages and post cards. Staff use this information to support children's learning and development. For example, in the baby room, staff create role-play areas based on children's home experiences. They provide resources that help children develop their imagination, building on what children already know and can do. Consequently, the seamless team work between staff and parents helps children to learn and develop well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen how staff model and explain new skills so that children clearly understand what is being taught and can build their skills effectively
• refine how the curriculum supports children to recognise and talk about their feelings, so they develop the skills to manage their emotions and behaviour more independently.