Winston's Place at Wirral Christian Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children love their nursery. They arrive eager to play and learn in the well-equipped classrooms and garden area. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop close, trusting relationships with the nurturing staff. They build long-lasting friendships with other children. Children feel at ease because staff support them if they feel anxious when starting at the nursery. Children are well cared for by their key person. They demonstrate that they feel safe, such as when they slip their hands into the palm of staff to help them feel more secure.

Children learn how to be kind, considerate and well mannered because of staff's skilful role modelling. They behave extremely well. Staff imaginatively help children to easily remember the rules of how they should behave. For instance, they teach children to pretend that they are putting on kind hands and walking feet. Children learn also to use kind words.

Babies blossom in their learning of new words because of the well-thought-out learning activities that staff provide. For example, when blowing bubbles, staff playfully introduce valuable vocabulary to babies, such as 'bubbles', 'big' and 'small', for them to practise saying. Older children learn the words to many favourite songs and sing them with gusto and enjoyment.

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

• Mostly, managers have successfully designed and implemented an ambitious curriculum. They ensure that the learning activities they provide meet the needs of all children, including those with SEND. Children are engaged and interested by the fascinating learning activities provided by skilful staff. On occasion, some staff focus too much on their choice of activity rather than what information they will teach the children and why. This means that, on occasion, some children are not provided with enough opportunities to gain important knowledge needed for their future learning.
• In the main, staff use their knowledge of child development and the different areas of learning to deliver the curriculum well. For example, staff teach toddlers how to use their big muscles to develop their core strength. They help older children to exercise their hands and fingers ready for practising using writing tools. However, some staff's knowledge of how to implement the curriculum for mathematics is less well developed. This affects how well some children develop their knowledge of number.
• All children benefit from the nursery's thoughtful approach to developing their language skills. Staff talk often with the children. They welcome children's early attempts at talk and babble. Children love to sing nursery rhymes using the musical instruments that staff provide. Staff introduce children to new and interesting words. Children become confident, able talkers.
• Books are everywhere because staff thoughtfully set out a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books for children to use. Children love stories. They listen attentively when staff expertly share books with them. Staff skilfully develop back-and-forth conversations with children about books and other topics.
• Staff develop children's personal skills very well, such as their self-control. For example, they notice when it is hard for children to wait for their turn of a tricycle. Staff help children to understand their emotions and skilfully explain to them how to wait. Children learn the importance of patience and resilience.
• Staff support children with SEND very well. The managers ensure that staff are trained to use signing and pictures to support children's language skills. As a result, children who are not yet using words learn to communicate their needs and wants. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works adeptly with parents and other agencies to ensure that children receive the support they need.
• Staff know the children in their care well. This helps them to identify when children need extra help in their learning. Staff successfully use assessment strategies to spot any gaps in knowledge that children may have. They adapt how they deliver the curriculum to help children to make progress in their learning.
• Parents value the regular updates they receive about their child's progress. Staff provide information that helps parents to support their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve staff focus on what information to teach children and why
• improve staff knowledge of the mathematics curriculum to strengthen children's learning.