Wingate Private Day Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and families are warmly welcomed into this friendly nursery. Staff know the children very well. They form positive relationships with children. Babies feel safe as they use their key person for comfort and support when needed. Staff ensure that children can access the resources freely. Children develop their independence skills. They have a positive attitude to their learning and offer to help their friends with small tasks. For example, children use paint pumps to add paint to their pallets for a colour-mixing activity. Children tell their friends, 'I will help you,' when they struggle to get some paint. All children make good progress.

Leaders have made significant improvements since the last inspection. They have refurbished the nursery and recruited new staff. Leaders plan an ambitious curriculum to support children's learning and development. This is sequenced and builds on what children know and can do. For example, staff provide opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. They encourage babies to take their first steps as they hold out their arms to offer support. Toddlers enjoy taking part in moving their bodies to music. Staff model the actions as they join in. Older children learn to balance safely on the wooden planks. Staff teach them to hold their arms out to balance. They provide a range of mark-making tools to help children develop their small muscles. This helps children develop the skills they need for their next stage in their learning.

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

• Staff ensure that children's language and communication development is a priority. They offer a language-rich environment. Staff model language well. They tailor this to the individual needs of children. For example, staff introduce and repeat single words as they play with babies. They use visuals and signs for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff engage older children in conversations and ask questions to extend their thinking. They use children's responses and interests to extend the conversation and include other children in their discussion. Children become confident talkers.
• Children with SEND are very well supported. Staff identify gaps in children's learning at the earliest opportunity. They swiftly put plans in place to support their individual needs. Staff work closely with outside agencies to ensure children receive the support they need. They plan clear targets for children and review these regularly. This helps all staff to know how to support children's individual needs. Leaders use additional funding effectively. For example, leaders plan one-to-one time with an adult and provide resources to support their communication skills. Children with SEND make very good progress.
• Leaders give a high priority to developing children's love of books and stories. They arrange visits from an author to share their stories with children. Staff ensure that a well-resourced lending library is available to all families. Books are readily accessible for children of all ages. All children enjoy sharing books with staff individually and in small groups. Staff use puppets to engage children in the songs and rhymes. Babies take delight in putting the puppets on their own hands. Children develop a love of stories, songs and rhymes.
• Staff support children's independence skills very well. Babies learn to feed themselves, and toddlers begin to learn to serve their own foods. Staff teach them how to use tongs to pick up the fruit. Older children confidently pour their own drinks. They serve their own food and clear their plates afterwards. Staff teach children how to use a knife and fork.
• Staff plan a range of activities to support children's learning and development. However, sometimes, the activities are not organised as well as they could be. For example, an activity for babies is placed in a tray on the floor, and babies crawl over this and cannot access the intended learning effectively. When older children partake in an activity, not all children can access the resources easily. This means sometimes children do not benefit from the activities as well as they could.
• Staff welcome families into the nursery. Leaders plan a grandparent stay-and-play session. Grandparents benefit from spending time with their grandchildren in the nursery. Parents speak positively about the setting. They welcome the updates on the online app and daily updates staff share. However, staff do not always share information clearly about how parents can continue to support learning at home, to support and extend children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• organise group activities more effectively so that all children can partake and access the planned learning
• enhance the already strong parent partnerships to provide parents and carers with clear information about children's learning and next steps.