Whitchurch Nursery & Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled in the nursery. They separate from their parents confidently at the start of the day and quickly settle to their chosen activity. Children of all ages demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. Babies show high levels of curiosity as they explore electronic toys. Toddlers use their imaginations as they make pretend food and serve this to staff and visitors. Pre-school children enjoy using toy bricks to build a garage to house their toy vehicles. Staff are kind and caring. Younger children seek reassurance from their key person when they are unsure of visitors to the nursery. Staff offer children cuddles and comfort and this helps them to feel safe and secure.

Staff act as good role models for children. This helps children to behave well. Children play cooperatively and respond well to reminders from staff. Children use good manners, saying 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff praise children for their good behaviours, and this promotes their emotional well-being. The curriculum is planned to ensure children of all ages make good progress in their learning. Children are developing the skills they need to support their future learning, including moving on to school.

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

• Staff use their observations and assessments of children to help inform the planning of activities. They incorporate children's interests in activities, and this encourages children to join in with a wide range of play experiences. Children confidently select from a wide range of resources and are encouraged to make choices in their play.
• Staff promote children's early literacy skills. They engage babies in singing rhymes and songs. In pre-school, staff support children to recognise letters and sounds. For example, children play with magnetic letters and use these confidently to say the sounds in their names. Staff read stories to children individually and in small groups. Children listen attentively and join in with familiar parts of the story.
• Staff feel supported by managers, who offer termly supervision meetings. They reflect on practice and discuss future developmental needs. Staff access mandatory training, such as paediatric first aid and safeguarding. However, managers have not focused staff training opportunities to build on their already good teaching skills to raise the learning opportunities to the next level.
• Parents are happy with the nursery. They express how happy their children are attending. They say that their children are making good progress in their development. However, parents do not always receive enough information about the plans for children's future learning to enable them to extend their children's learning at home.
• Staff provide children with healthy meals and snacks that are tailored to meet their dietary requirements. They further promote children's good health by reminding children of the importance of good handwashing routines. Children's medical needs are well catered for. Staff are knowledgeable about children's individual needs and demonstrate confidence in meeting these needs.
• Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They reward and praise good behaviours. Children respond positively to the boundaries set. For example, pre-school children understand the reasons why they cannot have their water bottles near the computer.
• The key-person system is effective. Staff know children and their families well. For example, staff caring for babies quickly pick up on cues that children may not be feeling well. Children are developing their independence. Staff encourage them to complete tasks for themselves according to their age and stage of development.
• Good support is in place to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work well with external agencies and use advice and guidance provided. Regular meetings and information-sharing with other professionals and parents mean any gaps in learning are identified quickly and acted on.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus more precisely on professional development to help raise the quality of teaching to the highest level
• provide parents with more detailed information about the plans for children's future learning to enable them to extend this further at home.