White Coppice Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff create a friendly, welcoming and relaxed environment. They work hard to ensure that children feel safe and secure. Children have formed close bonds with staff and their peers. They thoroughly enjoy spending time here. Children behave well. Staff are positive role models. They encourage children to use their manners as they ask for equipment. Staff teach children about different emotions from a young age. They encourage children to discuss how characters may be feeling in books. Children are kind and caring. They celebrate each other's achievements together as a group. For example, children say 'hooray' and congratulate each other when they earn a lid to put into their reward bottle. Staff praise children for being kind to their friends. This helps to raise their self-esteem.

The manager creates a broad and balanced curriculum. Children's outdoor learning is a key feature of this setting. Children show excellent control as they ride around obstacles on balance bicycles. They giggle with glee as they take turns on the rope swing. Children spend lots of time in the fresh air exploring nature. They sustain high levels of concentration in self-chosen activities. For example, children are engrossed as they hammer golf tees into large vegetables. Children make good progress in all areas of their development.

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

• Promoting children's communication and language is at the heart of this nursery. Staff demonstrate a shared vision to continually build on children's language development. They introduce children to new vocabulary as they sing songs, share stories and play with them. This helps children to become confident communicators.
• Mathematical development is promoted well. For example, staff encourage children to count the swings each child has as they wait for their turn. Children are engrossed as they find the numbered key to open the corresponding numbered locks. Staff encourage children to solve their own problems in their play. These opportunities help children make progress with their mathematical development.
• Staff incorporate inclusion and diversity within the curriculum. Staff teach children about different cultures through art, music and storytelling. Children hear different languages during their weekly French lessons. This helps children gain an understanding of people and communities outside their own lives.
• Staff receive effective supervision opportunities with the manager. They attend regular supervision meetings, where they set targets for improvement and discuss children's next steps. Staff complete online training courses to help to develop their practice further.
• Staff have good relationships with parents, who speak very highly about the nursery and staff. Parents praise staff for creating a 'home-from-home' environment. They are grateful for the thorough handovers which inform parents about their children's day and their learning. Staff share ideas with parents about how they can further support children's learning at home. For example, children take book bags home containing a wide range of activities for them to do with their parents.
• Children thoroughly enjoy accessing the exciting outdoor area. The manager and staff plan very well for children's independent outdoor play experiences. Children are curious to explore the vast amount of activities available. They enjoy filling a range of containers in the water tray. Children work well as a team to try and create their own puddles to jump in. Children gain a thirst for learning from a young age.
• During children's chosen play, they are well motivated. They make independent choices about where they will play and what resources they will use. However, the arrangements during daily routines do not always allow children to further enhance their independence skills. For example, children do not have opportunities to pour their own drinks or to help clear the table away ready for the afternoon activities.
• Children's behaviour is good. Staff support children to take turns and share the equipment. When disputes do occur, staff intervene quickly and effectively. Children usually follow staff's instructions well. However, staff do not always use clear instructions during transition times. This occasionally confuses children and they are unsure of what is expected of them.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the opportunities for children to further develop their independence skills during daily routines
• provide consistently clear instructions for children so that they know what is expected of them at all times.