Webber Independent School Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children feel safe and secure in the nursery. The youngest children benefit from caring and understanding staff, who help them to get used to their new environment. Children enjoy a sequence of flexibly arranged settling-in visits. Consequently, they have strong bonds with their key person from the outset and staff recognise children's needs promptly, such as for comfort, milk or a nap. Older children learn to keep themselves safe. For instance, as they play outside, they recognise the need to put on their sun hats and re-hydrate themselves with drinks of water.

Children develop positive attitudes to their learning. Older children concentrate and persevere. They pedal ride-along toys, successfully turning the handles and negotiating obstacles. Toddlers keep trying as they rotate puzzle pieces to fix them together. Babies enjoy exploring the feeling of foam in their hands. They laugh and giggle as they begin to say 'pop' and clap their hands, propelling foam into the air.

Overall, children behave well. They enjoy a range of activities that, on the whole, are appropriately matched to their needs and interests. This helps children to make good progress in preparation for their future learning.

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

• Staff have developed new ways to maintain positive communication with parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, parents have had virtual tours as part of induction. They have since attended 'stay-and-play' sessions to help them to become more familiar with the nursery. Staff have developed systems for online communications and information-sharing. This is helping to ensure parents know what their children are learning to do next.
• Staff use the resources available to them well to support the curriculum. For example, children visit the pond. They track changes in tadpoles and learn about life cycles. Children benefit from outings to the local woods where they learn about the world around them. This enhances the curriculum well.
• On occasion, staff's knowledge of the concepts they teach is insecure. For example, when using letter sounds in everyday interactions, staff do not pronounce sounds correctly. During group times, staff do not consistently address misconceptions and the mispronunciation of letter sounds. This means that, at these times, children do not develop accurate knowledge for their future learning.
• Staff place importance on developing children's independence skills, such as in relation to personal hygiene and mealtime routines. However, at times, their expectations of children are not clear or not appropriate for their age. For example, staff expect young children to sit on the floor to eat their snack, in preparation for transfer to the next room. However, children wander off and staff spend time re-directing them to the group. This has an impact on the overall enjoyment of snack time. During routine times, such as tidying up, staff do not ensure that children understand instructions. Consequently, children do not know what is expected of them and this has an impact on their behaviour and attitudes.
• Leaders place great importance on preparing children for their transition to school. Staff initiate communications with children's receiving teachers and staff at other schools. They share information promptly about children's learning and development. This helps to ensure a smooth transition.
• Staff are prompt to seek advice from external professionals to support children with additional needs. For instance, they refer children to specialists, such as the paediatrician and physiotherapist. They implement strategies in the nursery to support children to make expected progress.
• The manager ensures that the nursery provision is inclusive. For example, when children start, staff find out about the languages they speak at home. Staff gather children's 'survival words' and use these effectively to support children during key routines as they begin to settle in.
• Leaders have a positive attitude to supporting staff's well-being. Staff say that they feel well supported in their roles. For example, they have a suitable space to take their breaks during the day and they have access to counselling and medical advice if needed.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to help them deliver the correct knowledge to children for their future learning, with particular relation to the teaching of letter sounds
• strengthen the organisation of group and routine times to ensure that staff's expectations are suitable for children's age and stage of development and help children understand what is expected of them.