Wind In The Willows Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery ready to learn and carry out tasks. They are warmly welcomed by practitioners, and eager to find their name and peg this to the 'who is here today' board. Children settle quickly and explore the environment. They seek information on bugs and insects and actively discuss the habitats in which they live in. Children are positive in their learning and are confident to make their own choices in their play, to make good progress.

Children display a real love for singing and use actions to songs when learning nursery rhymes. This helps to build children's self-esteem and confidence, to extend their communication and language. They become increasingly aware of the effects that sugar can have on their bodies and describe good hygiene practices. They understand how often they can brush their teeth, why they do this, and when they can visit the dentist.

Children play and behave well, showing kindness to their friends. They have formed positive relationships with their peers. Practitioners are good role models and support children to build their fine motor skills, for example, through cutting. Children make secure snips with various textures to become well equipped to build on their strength and dexterity.

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

• The manager and practitioners have implemented a broad curriculum since the COVID-19 pandemic, that supports them to build on what children know and can do. They have a focus of communication and language and set up activities and resources to support their curriculum. However, it is not always clear how the intention of activities support children to move them on in their individual learning.
• Practitioners have exciting discussions with children about slugs and how they like to live in 'dark and damp' places. Children think about these discussions and apply their ideas of how they can create a habitat for slugs, using cardboard boxes and soil. Practitioners give children praise for their ideas and build their confidence and self-esteem.
• Parents speak highly about the care for their children and hold practitioners and the nursery in very high regard. They feel they can discuss their home life with the nursery, particularly when there is support needed. The parents feel celebrated and attend special events that are organised. The nursery values parents' feedback, and seeks their views regularly to consider ways in which they can offer children the best care possible.
• The manager is interactive in working closely with the children and practitioners. Supervisions and appraisals are conducted and practitioners have opportunities to undertake regular online training and attend staff meetings. Although the manager works closely with practitioners, she does not always make the most of methods to mentor and coach, to reflect on developing their practice further to support their professional development.
• Practitioners play alongside children and support the narration of their play. This gives children good opportunities to extend their communication and language by learning new words and information, to build on what they know. Practitioners help create inventive ways to play games by making their own dice from a cardboard box, with pictures of different insects displayed on each side. Children have turns to roll the box and see what insect this will land on. For example, children talk about what ladybirds look like and show an understanding of how they have wings to fly.
• The nursery's special educational needs coordinators (SENCo) swiftly identify children who may need additional support. They work closely with parents and outside professionals to ensure the children are at the centre of their work, to make good progress. They share information effectively to build strategies for children to ensure that they receive the support they are entitled to. They make referrals in a timely manner and work in collaboration, to ensure that children have the support they need in preparation for when they transition from the nursery on to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support practitioners to precisely focus on the intention of activities to enhance children's individual learning and move them on in their development
• develop opportunities and make the most of mentoring and coaching practitioners to reflect on their practice, to consistently improve their teaching skills.