Witty Kiddies Upper Norwood

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and safe in this calm and nurturing environment. Staff are welcoming and children arrive happily, playing and interacting well together. Staff support children to build positive relationships with them. Children are confident and enjoy spending time at the nursery.

Staff make rules and routines clear, allowing children to behave well and show independence. For example, they line up and take turns to wash their hands before eating. Staff are good role models and have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children show empathy towards others, for example looking after a friend if they become upset.

Leaders aim high for individual children and plan a curriculum that meets their needs. Staff work effectively with children with additional needs, enabling all children to make good progress. Staff prepare them well for the next stage of their learning. Staff provide a wide range of activities, which allows children to explore the whole curriculum, both indoors and outdoors. For example, children develop their fine motor skills through use of resources, such as play dough, scissors and writing tools. They develop their gross motor skills through activities, such as climbing and using scooters.

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

• Leaders are ambitious in what they want children to achieve and they provide high-quality learning opportunities. For example, knowing what skills children need for their next stage of learning, such as teaching shapes and early writing before moving on to primary school and turn taking before moving on to the toddler room.
• Children are independent and develop good self-care skills. Staff encourage children to dress, wash hands and feed themselves independently. Children take their shoes off when they enter the nursery and dress for outside play independently. Children serve themselves during snack time and when finished they scrape food waste into the bin. Children help to tidy up which develops their sense of belonging and responsibility.
• Parents talk positively and warmly about the 'lovely, caring' staff. They can see how their children have progressed since starting. For example, recognising that their children's speech has developed well through attending the nursery setting. Parents speak well of how the nursery staff communicate with them, both verbally and through the online application programme. Parents comment on how assessments and updates inform them and also enable them to support children's learning at home. Staff support families well, for example, by signposting them to outside agencies and helping them complete forms.
• Reading is clearly promoted across the nursery setting. Staff teach babies how to turn the pages and encourage them to interact and take turns. Children enjoy reading books independently, as well as sharing them with friends. They listen intently when adults read books to them and respond appropriately, for example, by answering questions and engaging in conversations.
• Communication and language is a focus and leaders are clear about what they want children to achieve, allowing children to make progress. Staff communicate well with children and constantly engage with them. For example, singing songs when washing hands, waiting for snacks and during activities.
• Children behave well and manage their feelings effectively. Staff provide opportunities for children to talk about their emotions. They encourage sharing and taking turns and children show that they care about each other. Children understand the needs of their peers and, for example, hold hands to show their support.
• Staff plan engaging learning experiences for children. For example, they provide a range of mark-making activities, role-play opportunities and dressing up outfits, which helps to stimulate children's creativity.
• Staff confidently talk about the progress the children have made. They know the children well and the key-worker system is effective. Staff are proud of children's achievements and know what areas they need to improve on. Most staff are clear about the intended learning from planned activities. However, some staff would benefit from further support, to adapt their teaching where necessary, to fully support individual children to achieve the aims of the activity.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff skills to adapt their teaching where necessary, to fully support individual children to achieve the aims of planned activities.