Wellingtons Day Nursery (Pavilion)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter nursery happily and separate well from their parents. Established key-person systems mean that staff know children and their learning needs well. This comes from time spent with parents getting to know all about their children, their individual routines and things they enjoy doing. Attractively displayed resources and activities capture children's interest, and children settle quickly into their chosen play. Staff use their knowledge of children's interests to provide learning opportunities both inside and outdoors. As a result, children are engaged, motivated and settled.

Children benefit from an interesting and varied curriculum. They are eager to become involved in the activities, and staff respond to their excitement. Toddlers enjoy sitting down with their friends to listen to a story. Staff encourage them to join in with familiar words and rhymes. Pre-school children enjoy creating their own potions, using a range of different-coloured paints and various materials.

Children's behaviour is good. They show kindness towards one another and share resources well. Staff model turn-taking and recognise and praise children's efforts and achievements. Children are encouraged to use their manners, and staff are positive role models. Staff support children who are less confident when there are visitors within nursery. They reassure children with a cuddle and involve them in activities. The close interaction has a positive effect, and children relax and continue with their play.

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

• Managers and staff have worked hard to address the issues raised at the last inspection. They feel changes made to the provision have had a positive impact for children attending the nursery. Children's language and communication skills are supported well. Staff encourage conversations with children. Older children are eager to show staff the potions that they have made after mixing flour, water, paint and sequins. They recognise how the mixture changes colour with each new ingredient added. Younger children use single word responses to staff who use lots of repetition of words to help continually build their emerging vocabulary.
• Staff plan interesting activities, using their knowledge of how children learn and develop. They use information from parents alongside their own observations and assessments to identify new skills and interests, which inform planning. Children choose from a wide range of resources. However, at times, staff do not always use these as effectively as they could to ensure that children gain the most from the activity.
• Managers support their staff team well. Staff well-being is a priority. Managers place great value on the abilities of the staff and recognise their individual skills. Professional development is an integral part of the ongoing development of staff's knowledge and skills. Training that is undertaken by staff is cascaded to the wider team. Staff use this new information to enhance the service that they provide even further.
• Children's health and well-being are supported well. Dietary needs are known and catered for. Children develop independence, serving their own meals and pouring their own drinks. They rest and sleep according to their needs and individual routines. Staff regularly check children while they sleep to ensure that they remain safe.
• Partnerships with parents are a particular strength, and parents speak positively about the service they and their children receive. Parents feel valued and included in the life of the nursery and that staff value their involvement. Communication between parents and nursery is good. Staff share lots of information about their child's day with parents, their progress and ideas of ways they can continue their child's learning at home.
• Children learn about diversity and the wider world. Staff are proactive in encouraging parents and children to share information about their own cultures and beliefs. Parents involvement in cultural celebrations in the nursery broadens children's awareness even more. For example, when recently learning about Greek day, children enjoyed the opportunity to try Greek dancing and a variety of foods that are eaten in Greece.
• Children spend lots of time outdoors in the fresh air and enjoy trips and outings in the local area. They learn about road safety and that pedestrian crossings are a safe place to cross the road. Staff sometimes involve children in recognising risks when playing in the woodland area. However, at times, they are too quick to tell children what the risks are. This does not encourage children to share their thoughts about safety and build their awareness even further.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• encourage children to recognise risks for themselves and build on their awareness of how to keep themselves safe in the woodland area
• make the most of the available resources to enhance children's learning and understanding of the world around them even more.