Windmill Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy coming to the setting to see staff and their friends and happily play together. They are confident to leave their parents at the door. Staff provide an environment where children run in and choose the activities they wish to take part in. Staff have formed strong relationships with children, and children enjoy the warmth, security and understanding of their key person. Children are confident and show that they feel safe and secure as they chat away, discussing what they have had for their breakfast and where they went at the weekend. Children of all ages behave well and play harmoniously together. Staff organise the day to allow lots of opportunities for children to practise taking turns and sharing. Staff support some children who are still learning these skills. They guide children in a sensitive and consistent way. For example, staff remind children to be kind and take turns riding the tricycles outdoors.

Staff provide a variety of exciting learning opportunities for children to choose from to ignite their thirst for learning. Children relish the opportunity to get messy as they squish and squeeze wet sand in a tray. Staff encourage children to role play and pretend the large cardboard box is a boat. Children pretend they are swimming in the sea as they demonstrate swimming actions with their arms. Children pretend they are jumping into the sea, giggle with their friends and chat excitedly about it being wet. Staff snuggle with younger children while they enjoy sitting and listening attentively to stories. The children follow instructions to find the animals they can see in the story.

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

• The management team has clear curriculum aims and knows what it wants staff to focus their teaching on to help children make progress. The current focus for children is to develop their communication and language skills. Staff understand the importance of this and make good use of opportunities to join in with children's play and conversations. Staff sing songs and rhymes, and children thoroughly enjoy joining in. Children are confident talkers, and they chat away to each other and staff.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to learn about the community that they live in. Recently, children travelled to the local beach on the bus. They spent the day digging in the sand and finding crabs and shells. This contributes to broadening children's horizons.
• The staff support children to learn the skills they need for their next stage in learning and eventual move to school. Young children are able to confidently name colours and shapes. Older children are learning to write their own names and recognise letters and the sounds they represent. The staff carry out termly assessments on children to swiftly identify any gaps in learning. Strategies are put in place to ensure these gaps are addressed and children make good progress in their learning.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by the dedicated coordinator. She provides resources and guidance to help staff plan activities so that targeted support is given to close any gaps in learning. Staff work well with other professionals. They successfully implement specific learning programmes designed to support children who need extra help to make the best progress possible.
• Parent partnerships are good, and parents report they are very pleased with the setting. They say staff are helpful and approachable. Staff and parents meet regularly to discuss children's progress. Staff offer valuable advice to parents to promote good behaviour and support children's learning at home. This provides children with consistent routines, boundaries and learning opportunities.
• Overall, staff assess and monitor children's learning and track their progress well. However, children's next steps are not always clear and do not target fully what children need to learn next. This does not sharply focus on refining their learning.
• During activities, staff get down to the children's level and actively engage with them. They chat about what they are doing and what they can see. Staff give children praise and provide a running commentary of what the children are doing. However, occasionally, staff do not expand on these discussions and make the best use of spontaneous opportunities to promote children's learning. This does not encourage children to develop their problem-solving and thinking skills.
• Children enjoy the routines of their day. They learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Children freely access the outdoors for fresh air and exercise. They help themselves to a snack of milk, water and a variety of fruits. Children wash their hands before eating and after they have been to the toilet. They are aware of the importance of getting exercise, eating healthy food and not spreading germs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• place an even sharper focus on identifying children's next steps in learning to help staff further support their progress
• support staff to use spontaneous opportunities to promote children's thinking and problem-solving skills.