Wrens Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders have clear intent for children's learning. Staff use their expert knowledge and skills to deliver a well-sequenced and stimulating curriculum. This provides children with fundamental skills and knowledge for life-long success. Younger children develop strong physical skills as they step over purposefully placed hurdles at different heights. Older children test their own ideas as they pour water down guttering and say, 'I think this will make them go faster'. Staff seamlessly incorporate technology into children's learning experiences. For example, children play in the sand with diggers and become captivated as staff show them a video of real diggers. This helps children to make secure connections in their learning. Children develop strong communication skills. Staff immerse children in a language-rich environment, helping to foster children's use of language. Staff use words, such as decomposing, when children question what is on the ground. Children are highly motivated, curious and inquisitive learners.

Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and well-being. Children demonstrate kindness and respect towards each other. For example, children ask to join in with others as they play and children reply, 'yes of course'. Staff praise each other's practice in front of children, creating a positive learning environment for children to thrive. Older children exhibit high levels of self-regulation as they talk to staff about what is frustrating them. Staff help children to manage their own conflicts and use consistent strategies to support children's behaviour. As a result, children's behaviour is excellent.

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

• Leaders and staff have an in-depth knowledge of each child's levels of development and what they need to learn next. Staff are, therefore, able to make the very most of their interactions with children to challenge and to extend learning consistently. For example, during targeted group times, staff know which children they can challenge with simple addition and those they can begin to talk with about subtraction. Children make excellent progress.
• Staff complete baseline assessments of children's prior knowledge and use regular assessments in collaboration with parents to monitor children's learning. Children excel from their starting points. Staff undertake specialist communication assessments with children and have devised 'sound gym', promoting sound articulation, helping to swiftly close gaps in children's learning.
• Staff expertly support children's listening and attention skills and build on these sequentially. For example, younger children explore instruments and the sounds they make, and staff support older children to develop their understanding of rhythm, rhyme and letter sounds. This builds strong foundations for children to develop their early literacy skills.
• Staff ensure that children benefit from a healthy diet and provide ample opportunities for children to be physically active. Staff use the sociable mealtimes to enhance children's understanding of healthy eating and where different foods come from. For example, children make their own pizzas, discussing with staff how to grow peppers. Staff teach children the importance of good hygiene practice. Children learn how to lead healthy lifestyles.
• Leaders make full use of the extensive grounds to widen children experiences and opportunities daily. Children enjoy feeding the fish, visiting the woods and saying 'hello' to the guineafowl that follow them. Leaders liaise closely with the on-site education centre to involve children in the many activities that take place. For example, children visit the old Viking house. Staff embrace diversity, and children begin to develop their understanding of the world around them.
• Leaders have a clear vision to deliver high-quality education for all children. They meticulously monitor the provision and continually identify further ways to improve. Staff value the support they receive from leaders and report high levels of well-being. Leaders target staff training, enabling staff to further enhance their knowledge, based on children's needs. For example, recent sign language training has helped to improve the quality of interactions with children even further.
• Parent partnership is strong. Parents comment about the exceptional team ethos and the 'high expectations' that staff hold for their children. Parents receive a wealth of information about the curriculum and how to support their children's learning at home, such as letter and sound cards. Parents comment about the knowledgeable staff team and explain how they have enabled their children to 'thrive'.