Winshill Childcare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children with smiles and welcome them into the nursery. Babies who are new, settle well and are comforted by staff if they become upset. Staff sing welcome songs which acknowledge the arrival of children in the morning and afternoon sessions. All children enjoy these familiar songs and copy actions to the words.

The nursery curriculum has a focus on developing children's communication. Staff talk to children during their play and name items they play with. They ask children questions to develop their thinking skills and support them to extend their knowledge of language. Children learn to develop a love of books, as staff often read stories to them. They talk about characters and describe what is happening as they point to pictures.

Children enjoy spending time outside. They have daily opportunities to engage in outdoor play. Staff encourage children to work together as they stack coloured rings onto poles. As children toss the rings into the air and watch them fall, staff support them to share resources and take turns to collect them ready to re-stack. Children are reminded to be kind as they play and, as a result, develop friendships with one another.

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

• Children have opportunities to engage in activities which keep them physically active. They spend time outdoors using wheeled vehicles to move around and navigate the space around them. They join in with action songs indoors and move their bodies in a variety of ways. However, staff do not yet do enough to support children or parents to make good choices around eating healthily. For example, children bring food from home, which consists of unhealthy items they eat at lunchtime. As a result, children do not fully understand how to keep their bodies healthy.
• In general, children are supported to develop their independence. For example, they take care of their personal needs when using the toilet and younger children learn to feed themselves at mealtimes. However, staff place some children, who can sit at a table, in chairs with straps and lap trays at mealtimes. This does not fully support them to learn how to sit at a table with their friends and understand social expectations.
• Staff know children well and understand what they need to learn next. They plan a range of activities with specific learning intentions to support the skills children need to learn. However, the activities provided do not always excite children or motivate them to learn. As a result, children choose to play with other toys, rather than engage in the planned learning opportunities.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff work closely with parents and carers to coordinate support for children. They liaise with external agencies to find strategies which support children to make progress, and use additional funding to provide one-to-one support for those who are entitled to it.
• Staff have opportunities to improve their own knowledge and skills. They complete mandatory training and are encouraged to complete further courses, which support areas of practice they are interested in. Staff feel supported by leaders and have received support for personal matters they have experienced at home. This ensures they can continue to work and provides consistency for children.
• Leaders are proactive in making improvements to the experiences children receive. They meet with staff regularly and discuss enhancements they can make to the activities they offer children across each age group. They take action to address any concerns which are raised and put measures in place to strengthen the safety of children in the nursery.
• Parents comment positively about the care children receive. Some parents travel long distances so their children can attend. They comment on the flexibility the nursery provides and say their children are excited to be there. They appreciate the communication they receive daily and comment on the progress their children have made since attending.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• implement healthy eating strategies that support children and parents to make healthy choices in relation to food
• develop children's independence further, particularly at mealtimes
• strengthen the planning of activities so that they excite and motivate children to learn.