Village Bears Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to attend this warm and inviting setting. They leave their parents with ease at the door and are soon happily playing with their friends. There is a large range of age-appropriate resources. Children can access these independently, which enables them to develop their skills in all areas of the curriculum. For example, babies look through books together, pointing out pictures and repeating words. This develops their enjoyment of books and literacy. Toddlers play with play dough. They use their fine motor skills to squash, squeeze and roll the dough. They develop their imagination as they make things from the dough and use their communication skills when they explain to staff what they have made.

Children behave well, and they are kind to each other. They learn to share with their peers and take turns. Staff role model good behaviour, and they offer praise and encouragement to the children. Staff support the children's well-being and help them to regulate their emotions. Children listen carefully, follow instructions and understand the rules and routine of the day. For example, toddlers know to help to tidy up their resources after their play. Babies understand to go to the door to wash their hands before lunch. This helps children to feel safe and secure and supports their social and emotional development.

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

• Leaders and managers have a strong ethos for the setting. They are passionate about providing quality care and education for the children. Managers support staff with regular observations and supervision sessions, where they can discuss their key children and personal well-being. Staff can participate in a range of professional development opportunities to extend their early years knowledge.
• Children are becoming independent learners. For example, toddlers wash their hands before lunch. With support, they get the soap, turn on taps and dry their hands with a paper towel. Babies sit and use a spoon to feed themselves. This helps to prepare them for their next stage in learning.
• Children build good bonds with staff. The strong key-person system ensures that staff know the children well. They support children's care and emotional needs well. For example, as babies sleep, their key person knows the best way to support them to feel comfortable and secure, such as stroking their heads or giving comforters.
• Children have the opportunity to play outdoors every day. They develop their physical skills as they jump, skip and run around. Babies show determination as they climb up the steps of the slide and turn around to slide back down. Toddlers scoot and push their bicycles and cars along.
• Children enjoy a good range of meals and snacks. They have the choice of a packed lunch from home or a cooked dinner made by the cook on the premises. At snack time, they have a variety of fruit to eat. However, staff do not consistently encourage children to make healthy choices of drinks during this time.
• Parents are very complimentary about the staff and the setting. They know their child's key person and know they can talk to them if they have any concerns. Parents receive regular updates about their child's day from an online system and when they collect their children every day. Parents attend meetings to discuss their child's development and next stages in learning.
• Children make good progress. Staff use children's interests to plan engaging activities that help to build on children's skills. However, staff do not always seize those spontaneous opportunities as children engage in their play to build on the skills and knowledge that they have already acquired. Therefore, children do not always make the best progress that they are capable of.
• Staff model good language in their interactions with children. Children enjoy hearing stories and singing songs. Staff talk to the children during activities. They introduce new words and encourage children to repeat them. For example, as babies are jumping in puddles, staff introduce 'splash' and 'splish' and the babies repeat the words. Children with a speech delay have targeted support to ensure they make the best possible progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more opportunities for children to make healthy choices, especially at snack time
• support staff to recognise how to build on children's learning as they play to help them make the best possible progress.