Wellington Villa Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this exceptionally nurturing and inclusive environment. The inspiring staff team help all children flourish in their learning and development. Leaders and staff work extremely hard to design a purposeful curriculum, personalised to each child's learning needs. Staff follow children's interests to consistently build on what they already know and can do. For example, staff create a farmyard sensory experience when children show an interest in animals. Babies develop their communication skills as they babble and say single words in response to the different animal sounds. All children join in activities with high motivation and excitement. Staff provide children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with a wealth of tailored learning opportunities. This helps to ensure that all children develop exceptional social skills as they demonstrate respect for each other's individuality and embrace diversity.

Children and families build trusting relationships with all staff. Children demonstrate their sense of security as they check in with staff for comfort and reassurance. Staff support transition into the nursery through a flexible settling-in process. They introduce children to their key person in ways that promote comfort and confidence. Staff provide opportunities for parents to share detailed information about children's home routines, interests and abilities. They use this information to help children settle quickly into busy nursery life and to build on each child's experiences from their starting points.

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

• Staff deliver consistently exceptional teaching. They use every opportunity to encourage children to think deeply. For example, at snack time, staff invite children to help set the table. This gives children a meaningful way to practise counting as they work out how many place settings are needed. In pre-school, children vote for the story they would like to hear. Staff guide them to count the votes for each book and identify which has the most. Through these experiences, children strengthen their mathematical skills and develop an early understanding of democracy.
• Staff provide exceptional support for children with SEND. They work closely with parents and other professionals to create individual learning support plans. Staff are supported well to provide targeted care and education for children with SEND. They access training and complete further research to ensure that children with SEND benefit from an inclusive and challenging curriculum. This approach enables children to learn alongside their peers and make excellent progress from their starting points.
• Knowledgeable staff swiftly adapt their teaching to keep all children focused and engaged in learning. They notice when children display repeated patterns of behaviour, known as 'schemas', and adapt the environment to support this important stage of play. For instance, staff working with younger children notice their interest in exploring how things go round. They build on these opportunities and create activities to encourage children to roll different objects down a ramp, allowing them to create different marks. Through these thoughtful opportunities, staff enable children to stay engaged while exploring different ways to create marks.
• Staff are positive role models and encourage children to talk about their emotions. They use a wide range of imaginative books and puppets to allow children to articulate how they are feeling. When children describe sensations such as 'pins and needles' in their tummy, staff guide them to connect these feelings with a range of emotions. Staff consistently support children to recognise the impact of their behaviour on others. This helps children to learn to manage these situations by themselves and resolve conflict.
• Staff build outstanding partnerships with parents and ensure that they play an important role in nursery life. They promote a shared approach that enables children to excel. Staff share a wealth of information with parents and carers to support children's learning at home, particularly their emotional well-being. Parents praise staff for their incredible work and comment that they often go above and beyond. They value the purposeful, individualised care that gives children a truly enriching experience.
• Children learn about healthy lifestyles and understand the importance of making positive choices. For example, staff teach them about the nutritional value of food, the benefits of exercise on the body and the importance of good hygiene. Staff support babies in learning to wash away germs by narrating their actions during handwashing. Older children demonstrate their understanding by explaining why they need to wash their hands before eating.