Wind In The Willows Portsmouth Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this welcoming and supportive nursery. They display a strong sense of belonging and show that they feel safe and secure. Babies are happy and content in their familiar surroundings. They clap their hands with pleasure after pulling themselves to a standing position. Staff celebrate their achievements with smiles and cheers, and demonstrate how happy and safe they make children feel. Other babies join in with the praise as they cheerfully clap their friends. Older children support their friends when they encounter difficulties. They encourage them to keep on trying when practising a new skill and say, 'practise makes perfect'. Children are kind and considerate to each other.

Children are at the heart of the curriculum and staff have high expectations for every child. This means that every child's needs are planned for effectively and every child makes progress from their individual starting points. Children start the day with positivity. Staff encourage children to stretch their bodies and practise breathing exercises. Children excitedly try out the 'warrior' pose and shout out that they are 'ready to start the day'. Children are curious and have a positive attitude to play and learning. They concentrate well during their chosen activities. Children enjoy making 'magical' potions using water and flower petals. They test out their ideas as they pour the water into bottles and consider if they need more or less.

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

• Staff provide children with exciting opportunities to spark their curiosity and interest. For example, babies enjoy the sensory exploration of sand on their hands and feet. Toddlers explore the texture of mud as they play with their favourite dinosaurs. Older children work collaboratively together. They construct houses out of open-ended resources. This supports children to make progress in their learning and development.
• Children behave well. They learn to manage their emotions, with consistent support and guidance from staff. For instance, children take part in 'happy mind' activities at the start of each day. They talk about their feelings and vocalise these with their friends. Staff encourage children to be polite and listen to their friends. This helps children to consider other people's feelings and views.
• The manager is highly passionate about her role. She is dedicated to providing an environment for children to thrive in. Her vision for children to be confident learners threads through the nursery. Staff receive a wide range of high-quality training and use it to improve the provision. Furthermore, the manager researches different training ideas. For example, she creates booklets about children's brain development. This supports staff's continuous professional development.
• Staff support children from an early age with self-care skills and hygiene routines. For example, older babies sit on small chairs at mealtimes and use cutlery confidently to feed themselves. Toddlers blow their noses and throw tissues in the bin. Older children wash their hands well and know that they need to wash the 'germs' away. However, sometimes, staff do not consider the most hygienic way of transferring children to their beds. For example, children walk over clean bedding with outdoor shoes on.
• Staff listen extremely well to children's views and ideas. They encourage children's participation in the organisation of the learning environment. Children regularly discuss what they enjoy doing. For example, staff recently organised the garden so that children could play football with a new goal. This creates a sense of belonging and self-worth.
• The special educational needs coordinator works in partnership with parents and other agencies. She ensures that children receive the support they need. For example, she accurately assesses children's needs and identifies targets for learning. Staff are aware of strategies to use with children who may need extra help. However, on occasions, some children who struggle to communicate do not always have consistent support.
• Parents value the care and experiences given to their children at nursery. They know what their children are learning at nursery. Parents receive updates through online systems, daily communication and weekly newsletters. Parents comment on the great progress that their children have made, particularly with their communication and language skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the hygiene arrangements at nap time to make sure that children are consistently protected against germs and infection
• improve teaching for children who need extra support with their communication and language to ensure that agreed strategies are always fully understood and implemented.