Walmer Bridge Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy in this supportive and nurturing nursery. Staff help children feel secure and confident to enable them to explore and learn. At each age and stage, staff support children to develop strong communication skills using a range of strategies. Children show good progress in this area. They confidently communicate their thoughts and ideas to adults and their friends.

The ambitious curriculum supports all children to make good progress. Staff provide a range of experiences that enrich the curriculum considerably. Babies read books about farm animals and then see real sheep and ducks on walks in the community. Toddlers visit the beach to listen to the sea and bring shells back to bury in their sandpit. Pre-school children visit the local shop to buy ingredients for lunch and regularly attend swimming lessons. These experiences benefit all children, particularly children who may be disadvantaged.

Staff appreciate that each child is an individual. They give each child the support they need to meet the nursery's high expectations of behaviour. Staff teach children to treat each other with compassion and respect, which contributes to a positive learning environment.

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

• Staff deliver a broad and coherently planned curriculum. This is based on the skills and knowledge children need in each area of learning. Leaders and staff regularly evaluate their practice to ensure children benefit from a wide range of learning experiences. For example, the curriculum for expressive arts was enhanced to include sessions led by a music group and multicultural instruments introduced. This helps children to make good progress in all areas of learning.
• Staff ensure children are physically active in their play. Indoors and outdoors, staff support children to access equipment where they climb and balance. This provides opportunities to develop these skills and experience challenge. Children are developing coordination, strength and agility.
• Staff deliver a sequenced curriculum to support children's social and emotional development. Children are taught strategies and the language they need to express themselves, ask for help and manage their feelings. Each room includes cosy spaces where children can relax, engage in sensory experiences or snuggle up with staff. Consequently, children are beginning to regulate their emotions.
• The curriculum is ambitious for all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff work closely with other agencies and families to ensure children receive tailored support. Staff give consideration to how routines, learning environments and equipment meet individual needs. This enables all children to make good progress.
• Staff teach children about some aspects of healthy eating. However, some key messages are not consistently shared to help children to learn about the benefits of eating healthily in order to promote their physical health.
• Staff engage effectively with parents about their child's care and well-being. Parents are told about the activities children have enjoyed, the food they have eaten and when they have slept. Sometimes, staff do not explain children's learning fully. This does not consistently help parents to understand the progress children make and how they can support learning to continue at home.
• Leaders ensure staff are well supported. Staff and apprentices receive a good level of personal and professional support to increase their range of knowledge and skills. As a result, the practice and provision for children continually improve.
• Leaders failed to notify Ofsted of required information following a recent event. Additionally, they have not followed the procedure within their own policy when managing this. Leaders demonstrate commitment to meet this requirement in future. There is no impact on children because of this breach of requirements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help children to develop a deeper understanding of good practices that support their physical health
• provide information to parents that explains children's learning clearly to help parents understand and support the progress children make.