Wmb Born2win Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop trusting relationships with each other and staff. This helps them to feel happy, settled and safe. Children benefit from a curriculum that enables them to gain lots of knowledge and a positive attitude to learning. For example, babies develop a desire to move as they take part in 'music and stretch' sessions. Older children run exuberantly in the fresh air, which helps them to develop their coordination and core muscles. They also demonstrate a can-do attitude as they are challenged to throw hoops onto the big climbing frame. Children are enthusiastic learners.

Staff work hard to adapt the curriculum for each child. For example, they teach children lots of nursery rhymes, such as 'The Grand Old Duke of York'. This works particularly well for children who speak English as an additional language (EAL). Children know the rhymes well as they sing and march with gusto. Those who are not yet ready to join in, sit and beam with excitement as they watch their friends. Staff recognise that children need to practise and repeat these rhymes, so they can build a bank of English words. As such, singing is very much part of the nursery routine. Parents are delighted. As one parent commented, 'My child sings constantly!'

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

• The managers and staff work well as a team. They want the best for children and continually reflect on what needs to improve. Managers and staff have identified that further improvements are needed to the outdoor curriculum. As such, they are currently developing the outdoor play area to help maximise children's learning.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have individual plans and targets. As a result, staff are able to focus precisely on what children need to learn. For example, staff use different strategies, such as gentle tickles, to help children engage. At other times, they help children communicate by playing peekaboo. With the help of outside professionals, staff are able to adapt targets and make changes to the curriculum. This helps children with SEND achieve well.
• A wide selection of books is available in all rooms. This encourages all children, including babies, to develop a love of stories. Staff also invite parents to join their story time sessions. As a result, parents feel confident to read stories to their children at home. This partnership working provides huge benefits for the development of children's early literacy.
• Much of the curriculum is taught very well. However, children do not develop their independence skills well enough. For example, as older children make play dough and wash their hands, staff are too eager to help. When children are encouraged to be independent, they do not have the tools they need. For example, during snack, children struggle to cut oranges and pears with plastic knives. At lunchtime, they do not have any knives and rely on adults to cut the food for them. This does not help children to become increasingly independent.
• Children's personal development is promoted very well. For example, as babies move into the toddler room, their key person stays with them until they feel settled. Staff also speak several languages, which works very well for new children who speak EAL. Staff speak to new children in their home language. As the children settle, staff gradually expose them to English. These carefully planned transitions, help children to feel confident and assured.
• Early years pupil premium funding is used well to support disadvantaged children. For example, funding has been used on resources to help children develop their communication and listening skills. Managers closely monitor children's attendance and, if needed, offer different sessions. This helps to ensure that children receive their full entitlement of early education.
• Children enjoy a good selection of home-cooked meals and snacks that are freshly prepared on site. Parents can also provide their children with a packed lunch. However, the healthy eating policy is not consistently implemented because some lunches that children bring from home are not nutritiously balanced. This does not fully support children's understanding of healthy food choices.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide increased opportunities for children to develop their independence skills
• make sure that meals and snacks are consistently healthy, balanced and nutritious.