Village Nursery Bellingdon

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle quickly and are eager to join in with play as soon as they arrive at this warm and welcoming nursery. Staff are caring and supportive and, as a result, children settle quickly. Children are able to choose from the wide variety of activities available to them. Staff know children well and provide an exciting learning environment for children of all ages. They identify children's individual next steps in learning and provide activities that promote these effectively.

Staff are good role models. A consistent approach to managing behaviour ensures children feel safe, secure and listened to. Children behave well and have good attitudes to learning. For example, they listen attentively to instructions when they enthusiastically join in with a 'shake-and-wake' session. Staff help children to understand about taking turns and sharing resources. Children learn to be independent from an early age.

Children enjoy playing alongside their friends during role play. For example, children collaborate well as they treat 'patients' in the doctor's surgery. Babies develop their physical skills as they navigate and clamber around the room and bang on musical instruments. Outside, children experience a range of sensory activities. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are mesmerised as they watch marbles rolling around and down a chute.

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

• The nursery manager is a committed and thoughtful leader. She involves staff, parents and children in the ongoing reflection and planning of future improvements to the nursery. Staff have regular training, which is effective in improving outcomes for children. For example, staff have recently accessed training in communication and language. As a result, staff actively listen to children and give them time to respond to questions while engaged in activities.
• Children's learning is supported by a curriculum which focuses on children's interests and individual needs. They make good progress over time. Children participate in their learning well and staff join in their play with enthusiasm. However, staff do not take advantage of opportunities to further extend children's learning in mathematics, such as extending their understanding of capacity as they play with water.
• Staff make effective use of settling-in arrangements to build strong relationships with parents and children. They gather information to plan familiar care routines for children. There is a wealth of opportunity for parents to be involved in their children's learning, including face-to-face meetings, learning journals and an online system to share information. Parents speak very highly of the setting. They praise the welcoming, friendly and dedicated staff.
• Experienced staff support children with SEND effectively. They are proactive in seeking early help for children when needed. Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure children make the best possible progress from their individual starting points. For example, they use visual timetables and a picture exchange system to aid communication.
• Children develop their large muscles as they run and play outside. For example, children climb and balance as they negotiate the climbing area. They also have access to wheeled toys, which they manoeuvre skilfully around the playground. Staff talk to children about exercise and why the food at lunchtime is good for them. This helps them to understand the importance of having a nutritious diet, contributing to children's good health and physical development.
• Staff working with younger children use repetition to help support children's growing vocabulary. They use descriptive language and narrate children's play. This helps to give meaning to what children are doing and ensures they hear a wide variety of words. Staff read enthusiastically to children and encourage them to consider what might happen next. However, there are not enough opportunities for children to access mark making independently and this limits children's ability to practise their emerging writing skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend children's good mathematical skills, supporting staff to recognise and build on the opportunities that occur in children's everyday play and activities
• provide further opportunities for children to access mark-making materials to develop their writing skills even more.