Wimbledon Nursery And Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff provide many opportunities and experiences to help to develop children's skills, in all areas of learning and development, overall. Staff support children to be confident and independent learners in a challenging and busy environment. For example, very young children independently crawl, cruise furniture and toddle as they explore their environment. They confidently negotiate uneven surfaces outdoors to help to practise their physical abilities. Toddlers firmly hold chunky chalk and crayons and excitedly notice the random marks they make. Older children concentrate as they investigate early maths concepts, including counting, sorting and comparison. Children are keen and motivated learners.

Staff create a warm, welcoming and nurturing environment to help to develop children's sense of belonging, emotional well-being and security. For example, staff sing songs, blow bubbles and provide lots of cuddles for new children. Children begin to develop close attachments with a key person. They show that they are emotionally secure, feel safe and settle quickly. Staff are good role models. They help children to learn how to keep themselves safe, how to behave well and to show respect for one another. Children demonstrate positive behaviour.

Staff ensure they meet the needs of all children. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported particularly well by competent and experienced staff. Consequently, all children make good progress and achieve the best they can.

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

• Leaders understand the importance of continuous professional development opportunities to help to consistently improve staff's knowledge and teaching skills. For example, following training, staff say they are more confident to implement the nursery curriculum. However, this is in its early stages, as some staff are not clear about what they intend children to learn from the planned activities and experiences offered to children.
• The newly appointed manager is very confident in her role. She leads by example and has a clear and ambitious vision for continuing to provide good-quality inclusive care and education for all.
• Leaders have a good understanding of the early years foundation stage safeguarding and welfare requirements. For example, they swiftly raise their safeguarding concerns with the local authority without delay, and know when to notify Ofsted of any significant events to meet requirements.
• The manager, who is also the special educational needs coordinator, is knowledgeable in her role. She works exceptionally well with parents and external agencies. This helps to ensure children with SEND receive the best possible early education in readiness for when they move on to school.
• Effective safe recruitment and induction processes help to ensure new and agency staff understand their roles and responsibilities. These include safeguarding training, emergency evacuation procedures, and health and safety training. All staff working with children have their suitability checked to ensure they are safe and suitable to work with children, such as through identity checks and vetting procedures.
• Parents appreciate the inclusive practice and targeted support their children receive to help to meet children's individual needs. For example, parents welcome the experiences their children have that help to promote an understanding of family backgrounds, local communities and what makes their children unique. Parents comment very positively about the consistency in care and education, and the progress their children make over time.
• The nursery curriculum focuses well on personal, social and emotional development, and on communication and language skills. For example, staff provide many opportunities to extend children's vocabulary and they comment on children's play and learning. Children confidently use the new words they have learned, such as 'volcano' and 'erupt'. Babies babble and copy words, such as 'oh no' and 'oh dear'. Children are confident communicators. Nevertheless, not all staff are clear about the curriculum aims.
• Staff have built positive links with local primary schools. They have plans for school-age children to visit the nursery to help to develop children's love for books and early reading skills. There are effective systems in place to support children to transition on to school, such as regular visits to local schools and meeting with teaching staff. This also helps to promote consistency in care, learning and children's welfare.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• explore ways to build on the already good-quality teaching to a consistently high level, and extend staff's understanding of what they intend children to learn.