Wimbledon Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children have an incredible start to their education at this nursery. Each day is a new opportunity to experience awe and wonder, where staff facilitate an astounding array of stimulating activities. Children are highly motivated to learn and are deeply engaged in activities of their choosing. They show remarkable levels of confidence as they test out ideas during a petrol-making activity, commenting on the differences between oil and water and the speed they travel through pipes the children put together. Children's learning is consistently extended by knowledgeable staff who ask them complex questions. This supports children with their critical thinking.

Children show formidable confidence as they lead their own play, building on what they know, playing imaginatively in the mechanics shop. They defy gender stereotypes, crawling under the car to repair it, and calling a customer to let them know their engine is fixed. Babies and toddlers delight in sensory experiences. They squeeze and squash fruits, developing muscles using a range of tools. Staff are incredibly sensitive and caring towards children. This ensures they feel safe and secure. The dedicated staff are persistent in securing professional support to children with special educational needs. This ensures that all children make exceptional progress.

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

• Each staff member knows their key children extremely well, understanding what makes each child unique and ensuring they receive highly focused teaching. The curriculum is built around a 'project approach', which is fuelled from children's interests. Staff meticulously track children's development and facilitate their next steps. This means that children are appropriately challenged and ready to move on to the next stage.
• Communication, language and mathematical concepts are skilfully interwoven into activities. Older children discuss speed and weight during play. They talk about how 'sluggish' liquid is travelling through a pipe. Younger children are consistently exposed to new and repeated words, as they play peek-a-boo and push and pull games.
• Leaders and staff are highly skilled in ensuring children with special educational needs receive effective intervention. Learning is tailored to meet children's development, incorporating their real-life experiences into role-play opportunities, such as the doctors surgery. All children benefit from social interaction and language groups. Staff work closely with professionals, sharing ideas. This gives them an excellent awareness for early identification of any additional needs.
• Leaders and staff have incredibly effective ways of supporting children's emotional development, incorporating calming activities and emotive story times. This supports children with their exceptional self-regulation abilities. Children demonstrate exemplary levels of respect and behaviour, showcasing impeccable manners. Examples of this are seen when they encourage others to join their play, or communicate they would like a turn.
• The curriculum enriches children with essential knowledge and skills for later life. Children learn about recycling and creativity through loose parts and transient art. This teaches children about the impact of waste as they re-use resources. They use metal detectors and discuss properties of items they find. Children learn about cultures and traditions, using their own annotated family books to discuss similarities and differences. Staff facilitate local visits to the temple and mosque to celebrate the diversity within the nursery. This strengthens children's knowledge of the world around them.
• Parent partnerships are superb. They consistently praise the communication and hard work of leaders and staff, commenting on how they go the extra mile to support children with special educational needs. Staff are valued as knowledgeable professionals by parents, who often seek their advice. The nursery shares weekly activities to extend learning at home, such as the 'letter of the week'. Parents often share pictures of objects children have found, beginning with the same letter.
• Leaders are inspirational and passionate. They motivate their team by working alongside them, promoting outstanding teaching. Leaders foster a culture of reflective practice through meaningful supervisions and training. Staff consistently comment that their wellbeing is a priority, and that they feel supported to fulfil their roles.