Willow Nurseries Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and staff have created a happy and safe environment for children. Children's laughter and conversations reverberate throughout the setting. Staff know the children well and take the time to build relationships with parents. This effective partnership with parents helps children to feel settled from the beginning of their attendance. For example, staff share ideas with parents on how to support children's communication and language development at home. This supports children's ongoing learning effectively. The manager and staff consider the needs of all children and provide a curriculum that sparks their interest. As a result, children develop a thirst for learning.

Staff have created carefully crafted book areas, which entice children to read. Children enjoy reading with their friends. They frequently call them over to read a favourite story together. The extensive range of books is reflective of diversity, including different cultures and beliefs. Special events, such as Chinese New Year, are celebrated to help children to understand that people have different beliefs. This further supports children's awareness of their community and the wider world.

Children have opportunities to undertake various tasks, which keep them motivated and give them a sense of importance. For example, pre-school children relish the opportunities to set the table at mealtimes. Younger children help to pass the bibs to their friends. Children beam in delight when they are praised for their actions. Staff actively encourage children to be independent. Babies learn to feed themselves with a spoon. Older children put on their coats and see to their own personal needs. This supports children's confidence and self-esteem effectively.

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

• The manager and staff have created a balanced curriculum and have clear intentions of what they want children to learn and how. Staff skilfully adapt activities to meet children's learning needs. For example, toddlers explore large ice balls in the water tray. They use various tools, such as hammers and saws, to help break down the ice. By the time they reach pre-school, they are able to use tools skilfully to extract ice from small moulds. This helps children to build on their learning in a sequential manner.
• The support for children's emotional health and well-being is impressive. Children learn about how the different parts of their brain function and the impact this has on their emotional health. For example, staff teach children how to use various breathing techniques to help them when they are feeling sad. This helps children to regulate their emotions.
• Staff have some systems in place to help children to understand the setting's rules. However, staff do not consistently support children to understand the expectations of behaviour. For example, when children disagree over a toy, staff remind them to use 'kind hands', which does not always resolve the issue. This does not help children to fully understand the impact of their behaviour on others.
• Staff are keenly aware of the importance of children becoming skilled communicators. Staff ask pertinent questions that help children to think critically and predict what will happen next. Children enjoy hearing and using new vocabulary, such as 'ascend', 'descend' and 'mountain peak', as they climb up and over the climbing frame. Babies hear lots of repetition of words, such as 'splash, splash, splash' as they play in the water. These activities support children's acquisition of language.
• The curriculum for physical development is strong. Staff provide lots of opportunities for babies to crawl and pull themselves up. This helps babies to develop the skills needed for walking unaided. Toddlers develop the dexterity to manipulate the pestle and mortar to grind up herbs. Consequently, children develop confidence in their physical abilities.
• Mathematics is firmly embedded in the setting. Younger children are introduced to counting through songs, such as 'Five Current Buns'. Older children count confidently to five. They learn about matching and sorting as they set the table for meals. Children also develop an understanding of mathematical concepts, such as 'half', 'whole' and 'more than'. This helps children to get a good grounding in early mathematics.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. Staff work in partnerships with parents, teachers, and professionals to ensure that children get the right support. Staff skilfully adapt the curriculum and environment. For example, they have created quiet spaces where children can go when they feel overwhelmed. This helps children to re-engage in their learning. Ultimately, children make steady and sustained progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to help children manage their own behaviour and understand how it affects others.