Wendy's Private Nursery & Pre-School Group

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are content in the setting and happy to play alongside others. For example, they laugh as they play hide and seek with their friends and the staff. Children demonstrate good behaviour and are well cared for by staff who are warm and welcoming. Children are developing their independence and take pleasure in completing tasks for themselves. For example, young children feed themselves and older children pour their own drinks. Children enjoy using their imagination and engaging in role play. For example, they dress up as nurses and doctors and help to make each other better.

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. For instance, they experiment with pressing gems into dough, observing what will happen. Children learn new things as they are supported by staff who have high expectations of them. For example, toddlers work out that water will spray out of the bottle if they press the trigger. Children make good progress in their learning and development as they participate in the range of experiences on offer, indoors and outdoors. Children are developing their love of books as they read stories and use books on a daily basis.

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

• Staff focus on broadening children's horizons by providing them with experiences they have not encountered before. For example, children go to the zoo, undertake walks in the local area and watch flowers grow. This supports children to engage in a wide breadth of experiences, which develops their understanding of the world around them.
• Staff have established good partnership working with parents. They update parents on a regular basis and share 'story sacks' so that parents can continue children's learning at home. This supports children in receiving a consistent approach to their care and education. Parents comment on how happy they are with how their children have been supported at the nursery.
• Staff find out a wide range of information about children's home lives, which means that they know them well. However, staff do not always ensure that children's backgrounds or cultures are reflected in the setting. This means that children cannot fully explore what makes them unique.
• Staff support children to take appropriate risks and solve problems. For example, children use balance and control to navigate climbing equipment. They are skilled at working out what their own limitations are and how to manoeuvre the equipment. This enables children to think about what they need to do to keep themselves safe and allows them to build good body strength and control.
• Children are learning how to work together and cooperate. For example, they play board games, take turns and wait patiently. This contributes towards children making good progress with their social skills as they learn how to interact with others.
• The manager is knowledgeable and supports staff to improve their practice. However, she has a number of additional responsibilities within the nursery. For example, she has been cooking meals for the children while recruiting a new cook. This means she does not consistently target the staff's practice closely enough to help raise their good practice to an even higher level.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff recognise and respond to the individual needs of each child, and they adapt the provision. This helps children to feel included and ensures they receive the extra support they need.
• Staff use games with children to help them develop their mathematical knowledge. For example, children participate in activities where they have to recognise and match three-dimensional shapes. This improves their understanding of a range of different shapes.
• All children participate in daily outdoor experiences and access fresh air and exercise. They run, ride bicycles and jump on the trampoline. This supports children in participating in healthy lifestyles.
• Staff are good role models and reinforce their expectations of children's behaviour. They offer praise and encouragement to children, which helps to build children's confidence and self-esteem.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to consider the importance of celebrating children's backgrounds and cultures in order to help children reflect on their differences and understand what makes them unique
• focus more precisely on the ongoing support for staff to help raise their practice to an even higher level.