Water's Edge Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this remarkable nursery. They demonstrate extremely high levels of engagement and concentration in their learning. Staff carefully consider how to best engage children in their learning while thinking about how to teach them new skills and knowledge. Learning is incredibly tailored to children's individual needs. For example, staff give children who are transitioning to the next room time to explore the new environment at a quiet time so that they can develop their confidence and explore with ease.

Children build skills and knowledge over time. Staff introduce new concepts and then provide opportunities for children to practise and test out their knowledge. For example, children make predictions and experiment with the boats they have made to see if they float or sink. Staff ask children why they think their boats are sinking or floating. They talk about shape, size and weight. This prompts children to think about the differences between the boats and develops their critical-thinking skills.

Children's behaviour is exceptional. Even the very youngest children in the nursery follow the nursery's routine with ease and confidence. They wash their hands and sit patiently to wait for their dinner. Children listen intently to staff and tidy up their toys. Staff have high expectations of all children while being supportive and caring. Children feel safe and secure with the staff who care for them.

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

• Managers and staff have an in-depth understanding of how young children learn. They know children well and carefully use assessment to consider what they want children to learn next. This enables them to construct a curriculum that is meaningful and ambitious for all children.
• Staff ensure that children are more than ready for school by the time they leave the nursery. They provide opportunities for children to practise many aspects of what will be expected of them when they move on to school. Children dress themselves, collect their own lunch and make choices about their learning. This contributes to children's high levels of confidence and self-esteem.
• Staff support children's personal development extremely well. They teach children 'yoga' during physical activity sessions. Staff talk to children about the benefits of physical activity as they teach them about breathing and stretching. Children practise the different moves and poses as they stretch out their bodies and concentrate hard on breathing in and out.
• Children benefit from wider experiences outside of the nursery. Managers and staff have developed links with local hospitals, libraries and community groups. Children take part in putting together boxes of food and resources for those who need them. They develop empathy and caring attitudes towards others, as well as feeling a sense of belonging and purpose in their community.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are especially well supported by highly skilled staff. Their experiences and opportunities at the nursery are thoughtfully planned to make them feel safe and secure so they can develop and thrive. Staff take time to support children individually, such as providing targeted activities, to help develop their language and communication skills. Staff develop detailed support plans alongside parents and other agencies to ensure that children with SEND make the best possible progress.
• Parents speak very highly of the nursery and say that their children are safe and secure when they are here. They say that staff and managers make transition points seamless for them as parents and ease any anxieties they might have. In particular, parents of children with SEND say that their children have rapidly developed their language skills. Parents feel well supported and say that communication is excellent.
• Managers are ambitious, passionate and very supportive of their staff team. They constantly strive to improve and develop to provide the very best start in life for children. Managers use supervision sessions to consider training and development opportunities. They observe staff's practice to ensure that it is of a consistently high standard.
• Managers use funding carefully and effectively. For example, early years pupil premium funding is precisely targeted to give children extra support, such as by providing resources for parents to use at home to extend their children's learning. This contributes to the rapid progress that children make.