Walkers Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Managers have an aspirational vision for the nursery. They work with staff to put in place a sequenced, ambitious curriculum to support children to learn well. The focus is on building children's confidence, independence and preparing them for their future learning. Staff work closely with local schools to provide children with the skills needed for the move into school. For example, they focus on helping children to manage their own clothes, express ideas, learn their name and some letters and sounds.

Staff greet children enthusiastically and help them settle quickly. Children eagerly explore the different activities that are available to them. Children show high levels of engagement in their play and learning and behave well. Staff are good role models, offering reminders about using 'walking feet' indoors, 'kind hands' and 'words' instead of gestures. Children confidently explore the indoor and outdoor environments. Staff follow children's interests well. For example, outdoors when children find a seed on the ground staff help them find a pot and soil to plant it. Children recall similar activities earlier in the year and talk animatedly about how they cared for and grew the plants. Children take an interest and show awe and wonder in the world around them.

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

• Children enthusiastically engage in a festive song and rhyme time. They clearly know the songs as they anticipate which one will come next. Staff include signs, gestures and words encouraging children to join in. Even if children are not sure of the words, they know the actions and join in well. Older children have fun naming items they pull out of a bucket staff have prepared for them. Staff ask questions and help children to recognise similar sounds. Children note that 'shark' and 'shell' sound the same at the beginning. Children are becoming confident talkers.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents comment that they get plenty of information about what their children are doing and how they can support them at home. They comment that most staff have been here for a while, so they feel that staff know them and their children well. They are confident that staff act to keep children safe and teach them well.
• Children's behaviour is a focus for the staff. They recognise that some children struggle to manage their emotions and have several strategies in place to help children understand what is expected of them. Staff encourage older children to be good role models for younger children as well. They help them to share toys, take turns and include younger ones in their play. When there are disputes over the toys, staff act quickly to help children sort out the problem for themselves. For example, children know they can use timers to take turns with favourite toys. Staff help children to understand when changes in the routine are going to happen. They give a five-minute warning using a bell and make sure all children have heard. This means children are ready for the change and can manage their emotions better.
• Managers make sure key persons build good relationships with parents and children. Key persons know children well and notice when they may need extra support. They talk with parents and other professionals to seek appropriate interventions to support children. Staff find out words in home languages and talk with parents about different celebrations so they can include these in the nursery. All children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are learning to speak English as an additional language make good progress.
• Children have plenty of choices about how they want to play and learn. Indoors children experiment with dough tools. They use rolling pins and cutters to make different shapes. Staff ask questions encouraging children to name the shapes and count the pieces of dough. Outdoors children 'fill up' pretend cars at the 'petrol station' then drive down the pretend roads made with pretend bricks. Staff encourage other children to 'stop, look and listen' before crossing the 'road.
• Managers support their staff well and encourage them to undertake training and develop their practice. They recognise the need to focus professional development on extending the learning of more able children. For example, sometimes staff do not adapt activities or support for older and more able children to provide greater challenge for children to build further on what they already know and can do.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build on staff professional development to help them focus on how to extend learning and development for those children who are older and more able to build further on what they know and can do