Valentines Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish as they explore excitedly with their friends. They are extremely independent. Children select from enriching resources and set up interesting activities with their friends. All children are busy. In the baby room, the babies gasp with delight as staff play peekaboo with their favourite toys. Staff say, 'Where has she gone? There she is.' Babies smile delightedly at familiar staff.

Children are resilient. They experience setbacks and try again when they find things tricky. For example, in the toddler room, young children match coloured beads into cups. When they find it hard to match the beads with the cups, experienced staff support and praise them. Children say, 'I have two beads.' Staff respond with extremely positive language, such as 'Well done, that's great.' Children have high levels of self-esteem. Their behaviour is excellent.

Children's speaking and listening skills are supported extremely well by expert staff. Children hear new language throughout the day. Children lead staff, who give them space to choose their own challenging activities. Children speak to staff and hear ambitious language. For example, in the garden, children play with the snow and ice. They find icicles and staff talk to them about why the icicles have formed. Children learn how ice melts and how to freeze it again. Children are confident talkers. They negotiate and cooperate extremely well with each other. Children are supported expertly by experienced staff. They are rapidly learning new skills and knowledge.

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

• Managers' leadership of the nursery is inspirational. They meticulously design a curriculum that is ambitious for all children. Managers create an exceptionally clear learning intent. They share their vision for learning extremely effectively with all staff. Staff expertly support children to become self-confident, resilient and independent. They are extremely well prepared for the next stages of their education.
• Managers and staff deliver an effective cycle of assessment. They robustly identify what children know and can do. Staff feed this knowledge of children's learning goals into their planning. All children rapidly reach their developmental milestones.
• Managers work closely with staff to support them in their interactions with children. They undertake regular supervisions of staff to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff share their excellent experience with each other. This helps them to constantly improve their teaching skills to support children's learning.
• Staff are highly skilled at supporting children's language development. They understand that children need to hear and repeat new language to remember words in the long term. For example, in the pre-school room, children select the 'Handa's Surprise' story from the book corner. Staff ask, 'What's in there? A girl and lots of fruit.' Children are excited to learn about the story and explore the story sack. They say, 'It is similar to another story.' Children enjoy books and rapidly use language from stories in their play.
• Managers and staff work extremely effectively with external agencies to support children's learning. They quickly identify children who need additional support. Staff seek expert advice and plan meticulously to close any gaps in learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are extremely well supported in their learning.
• Staff create care practices that are highly effective. Babies sleep in a calm and peaceful environment. They listen to music and share cuddles with staff who they know well. Children learn to feed themselves. They say what they like and dislike. Children are learning to take care of themselves and be independent. They are very confident and happy.
• Staff help children to manage their feelings. They talk about different emotions. When children struggle to manage their feelings, they are reassured by staff who know them well. Children are extremely cooperative with each other. They behave exceptionally well.
• Parents are overwhelmingly happy with the way staff communicate with them. They say that communication is 'incredible'. They report that regular parents' evenings support them to identify their children's next steps. Parents report that this helps them to extend their children's learning at home.
• Managers and staff understand the importance of teaching children about each other's differences. They know that this helps children to understand and respect different cultures and family dynamics. Children explore different foods, festivals and traditions. Children are learning to value each other's diverse backgrounds.
• Managers are extremely reflective of their practice. They regularly review the learning environment to ensure that it supports children's learning. Managers monitor all communication between staff and parents. This helps them to know what each child is learning. They regularly arrange training for all staff to help them to develop their teaching skills. All children have access to extremely experienced and highly skilled staff.