Wise Owls Educational Play

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted with warmth and enthusiasm by staff who know them exceptionally well. Staff take time to talk to parents and carers. They share any information that may affect children's experiences at the nursery. Staff's caring approach ensures that children settle quickly into the routines of the nursery. Staff place a deliberate emphasis on children's personal, social and emotional development when they first start.

Experienced and knowledgeable staff teach children to understand their emotions and introduce clear boundaries for children to follow. They consistently teach children about the impact of their behaviour, to look after their resources and to be kind to their friends. This helps children to understand what is expected of them. Children know that they are listened to, and staff take a genuine interest in what children are telling them. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

The nursery's curriculum is securely embedded in staff's teaching and planning. It ensures that children have the emotional resilience to build positive relationships with staff and each other. Children's learning and development are sequenced so they do not miss any vital milestones in their learning. For example, staff encourage children to make caterpillars as they thread beads onto pipe cleaners. This helps to develop children's fine motor skills in preparation for writing. Children make good progress.

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

• Children benefit from activities that support their communication and language skills. Staff introduce new words to children as they play, which is embedded in children's learning through repetition and recall. For example, staff introduce a new book every week. Children learn the meaning of key words, recall the story and then introduce the context into their play. This helps children to develop a love of stories and extends their growing vocabulary.
• Staff know the local community well and understand challenges that can impact on children's learning and development. Staff support children's physical development well. They provide opportunities for children to be physically active in the outdoor area. Children climb and balance on the large outdoor equipment. They develop their shoulder muscles as they dig in the large sand area. This helps to regulate children's behaviour so that they are ready to listen and concentrate when needed.
• Staff teach children to understand what makes them healthy. Children take part in weekly community cookery classes that promote the use of healthy ingredients. Children separate the healthy and unhealthy food eaten in the story of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar'. This knowledge helps children to make healthy choices.
• Staff introduce some simple mathematics into children's play. For example, they count how many legs children add to their dough caterpillars. Staff teach children about patterns and encourage them to create their own. However, staff do not consistently introduce mathematical language, such as about repeating patterns, numbers and number recognition, into children's play. This limits children's opportunities to practise and develop their mathematical knowledge and understanding.
• Staff identify any gaps in children's learning and plan targeted interventions to help children to make better progress. Staff use any additional funding to extend children's learning experiences so that all children make good progress.
• Lunchtimes are a social event where all children sit together. However, children sit for extended periods of time as they wait for all children to wash their hands and staff to serve their lunches. This results in some children becoming restless and disengaged. Staff complete tasks, such as pouring drinks and serving lunch, that children are capable of themselves. This reduces opportunities for children to develop their independence skills.
• Partnership with parents is positive. There is a deep level of trust between parents and staff. This enables staff to provide the care and support that children require to thrive. Staff support parents to develop the skills and knowledge to support their children's behaviour. They share ideas for home learning to offer a consistent approach to children's learning.
• Managers encourage staff to develop their skills and knowledge. They support staff to extend their childcare qualifications and offer regular training. Managers reflect effectively to ensure that staff's knowledge is current and relevant to meet the needs of the children attending the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend children's knowledge of mathematical language, including counting and number recognition, so that they make greater progress in their mathematical understanding
• implement lunchtime routines to ensure that children are engaged and have opportunities to develop further their independence skills.