Windmill Nursery Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe at this nursery. They form warm relationships with passionate and knowledgeable staff, who understand the individual care and learning needs of each child well. Some children's faces light up when their key person comes into the room. Other children approach a member of staff to have a cuddle or engage them in their play.

Staff understand the emotional needs of each child well. If children find any part of the session emotionally challenging, staff have a strong understanding of how to support each child. For example, some children participate in a familiar song or sensory activity. Others use a toy or story that helps them to self-regulate their emotions. Therefore, children's emotional needs are very well met at the setting.

Children make good progress towards their individual learning targets, supported by carefully considered interventions. For example, many children take part in daily 'bucket time' to support their social skills, concentration and language skills. This is adapted to meet the needs of individual children. Staff skilfully engage children with a variety of interesting objects and activities taken out of the bucket. Children begin to sit and focus for longer periods of time because of this intervention.

Children understand the routines within the setting well. They benefit from visual cues, such as visual timetables, and clear explanations of what will happen during the session. This helps children to feel safe and secure while at the nursery.

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

• Leaders carefully consider the needs of each child to ensure that they are placed into the correct room to suit their specific individual needs. The settling process is extremely well thought out. Leaders and staff carry out home visits, which they use to understand the needs of the children. Staff invite children in with their parents for a stay-and-play session to get to know the environment and the staff. Staff then support children to separate from their parents gradually, giving children as much time as they need for this. This ensures that children transition very well.
• Leaders and staff work very closely with professionals such as speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, occupational therapists and paediatricians to form thorough individual learning plans for each child. Staff work closely with these specialist professionals to understand the strategies that will help children to achieve their individual targets. This means that children make good progress on their individual learning journeys.
• Leaders have a clear vision for what they would like children to achieve through the curriculum for communication and language. Staff use a variety of very effective strategies to support children in this area, depending on the needs of each individual child. For example, staff use repetition to model language clearly, sing to the children and use visual cues such as pictures or Makaton signs as they communicate with the children. This helps children to make good progress in their communication and language, most of the time.
• On occasion, some staff do not consistently use these effective strategies to support children with their communication and language. For example, there are occasions when staff do not narrate effectively to support children's communication and language development as they play. On these occasions, children do not progress as well in their communication and language development.
• Leaders have strong systems for professional development in place. For example, staff benefit from modelling and advice by a range of specialist professionals. Staff work well as a team and leaders encourage staff to offer peer support to help colleagues to meet each child's individual needs. This helps staff to continue to develop professionally so that they can support children well.
• Parent partnerships are very strong. Staff work closely with parents to offer them strategies to support children at home. Staff and parents work closely together to ensure that children are getting all the support from external professionals that they need. Staff support parents to identify a suitable follow-on school for their children to meet their individual needs. This leads to good outcomes for children.
• The setting plays a very important role within the local community. Leaders work hard to support children in their transition between nursery and school. They work closely with other settings in the community, who often come to them for support and guidance. Leaders and staff went above and beyond to support families and children in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, staff delivered food and medication to families, as well as offering advice and support to any families who needed it. This was a great support to the community at a very challenging time.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to use existing effective strategies consistently to develop children's communication and language optimally.