Worthing Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting and receive a warm welcome from staff. Children develop close bonds with their key person and staff and happily separate from their parents. Children gain a clear awareness of their immediate community and about caring for others. For example, they visit the beach on a regular basis, helping children develop a strong sensory awareness. They celebrate special events, such as Mother's Day, and also welcome other family members during events, including 'grandparents stay and play'. Children enjoy singing and musical sessions, where they become fully animated and actively join in with the actions and words. This is something that begins with the youngest children and becomes embedded as children move through the nursery.

Babies explore their environment with interest and intrigue. Staff listen to babies' early communications and enter into discussions with them. This helps babies to learn about the flow of conversations. Staff instigate discussions with children and encourage them to talk about their experiences in the garden that morning. This enables children to recall information, to have a voice and to share their knowledge. Children receive plenty of praise for their efforts and achievements. For example, when babies demonstrate their walking skills, staff congratulate them. Older children celebrate being able to zip up their coat, showing a new-found skill. This supports children to have the confidence to persevere and build a strong sense of pride. The curriculum is ambitious for all children. This includes children who are learning more than one language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This enables all children to make the progress they are capable of.

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

• Leaders and senior staff who are room based have a clear understanding of the curriculum for children. They are reflective practitioners who make worthwhile changes to the environment, such as instigating their 'nurture approach'. This helps to ensure that staff meet the ever-changing needs of children and for children to access a homely atmosphere.
• There is clear and effective support for staff, not only regarding training but also for their health and well-being. They have a full induction programme followed by ongoing training and development opportunities. Staff comment that there are high levels of staff morale and successful team working.
• Staff gain information about children's needs and routines. From this, they plan an effective settling-in process that is unique to children. They make sure that the children have enough sessions prior to starting officially so that on their first full day, they feel safe and secure and ready to play and learn.
• Staff understand children's individual care and development needs and recognise their interests and learning styles. There are clear systems in place for the sharing of information between staff. Therefore, staff are aware of what children need to learn next, enabling them to make the most from any interactions they may have with children.
• Children delight in exploring the outdoor environment and being physically active. They show a keen interest in nature and talk with staff about caring for living creatures. However, staff do not always plan for outdoor play as well as they do indoors. This does not build further on children's skills and learning while in the outdoor area.
• Leaders create a positive approach to improving staff's practice. They observe staff during their activities and interactions with children. Then, they discuss what went well, what could be done differently and what comes next in the sequence of learning for children. This enables staff to assess their own practice and to receive effective guidance to develop their skills.
• Children enjoy their interactions with staff and engage with eagerness and interest in games and activities. However, on occasions, staff need to move away from the activity as other staff are not always aware of when their support is needed. This interrupts children's attention and engagement in the activity and, subsequently, their learning.
• Older children concentrate for good periods of time. For instance, they piece together the jigsaw and watch the picture emerge. Staff talk with children about how many pieces the puzzle has, introducing new mathematical language.
• There is an effective approach to partnership working and good communication. Parents comment about the strong bonds their children have with staff, enabling them to settle well at the nursery. Parents have regular opportunities to attend information evenings or workshops. They report that this helps them to understand more about children's development and to have time to interact with staff and children engaging in creative play, such as at the Halloween workshop.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to strengthen the planning of challenging and enjoyable experiences for children outdoors to complement the learning indoors, in accordance with what children need to learn next
• build on staff's awareness of providing support to other staff when children are fully engaged in their play to reduce distractions and interruptions to their learning.