Tynemouth Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children benefit from a dedicated staff team. The welcoming environment in the nursery ensures that children enjoy coming and are eager to learn and play. Relationships between staff and children are strong. Children behave very well. They play together, laugh together, and share equipment well. Children can say what is making them feel sad or angry because they have been taught the words that they need to use to express these feelings.

Visitors to the nursery help to enrich children's experience and develop important physical and personal skills. For example, children use their feet to weave the football between cones. Children learn about people, animals, and the world around them from an early age. For example, pre-school children learn about food from Africa, such as okra, while babies explore the texture of a spikey pineapple.

Children are imaginative and curious. They enjoy finding out how things work and are confident in having a go. For instance, a group of children learn how to use tools, such as spanners and screwdrivers, to repair a tricycle. Children show good levels of independence across the nursery. For example, even the youngest children confidently use cutlery. Older children let staff know when they need to use the toilet.

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

• Leaders plan a good curriculum that is focused on children's play, interests and needs. They plan effectively for children's next steps. The key-person system is embedded, and staff know their children well.
• Children's communication and language development is a strong feature of the nursery. Staff watch what children are doing and then ask questions or remodel language. They encourage children to actively listen and to take part in discussions. Children experience a wide range of stories, rhymes and songs, which helps them to develop a wide vocabulary. Staff bring stories to life and enthuse children to join in with the language and action. For example, after reading 'The Three Little Pigs', toddlers build houses from straw, and twigs and delight in blowing them down.
• Children know what is expected of them because staff have established clear routines. Older children take turns and wait patiently while others take time to give an answer. At social times, such as lunchtime, children sit together happily and sensibly. They enjoy the responsibility of serving their own food and eat independently, safe in the knowledge that staff are on hand if needed. However, staff have not considered how handwashing routines can be improved for the toddlers.
• Staff teach pre-school children about forming healthy relationships and the concept of democracy. All of this is done in an age-appropriate way that is helpful and meaningful for the children. For example, they vote for which book to read at story time. Babies settle quickly as nurturing staff provide a cosy and homely environment. They are attentive, offering cuddles and reassurance, and ensure their individual routines are followed.
• Staff make sure that there are plenty of opportunities for children to be active. Children enjoy the freedom and space to practise their running skills and ride on wheeled toys. The outdoor tree swing helps children to develop their upper body muscles. They also enjoy trips to the library and local park. This helps to support their physical well-being, good health, and awareness of the community they live in.
• Leaders and staff provide children with special educational needs and/or disabilities with good support. They identify and plan for the needs of these children. They work closely with parents and specialists. Staff use this information to carefully plan for each child's individual needs, helping them to make the same good progress as their peers.
• Leaders have a clear vision for the future of the nursery. They use regular observations and supervision meetings to give staff support and to help improve the quality of provision. They continue to strive to improve consistency in staff practice. However, they do not always analyse the impact of training or recognise when some staff need further help to upskill their knowledge.
• Leaders gained parents' views about the changes that were introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic and agreed to maintain aspects that they found beneficial. For instance, parents found that dropping children off at the door worked well. However, they are now welcomed in to collect their children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• look more closely at the impact of staff training and use this information to help recognise when some staff need further help to upskill their knowledge
• review the handwashing routines in the 'Bumblebees' room, to ensure that hygiene practices are met appropriately.