Yellow Wellies

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly greeted by kind, caring, supportive staff. A real strength of the nursery is how well all staff know each child and their family. Staff gather a wealth of information from parents, which helps to establish positive relationships from the very beginning. They take great care to create a welcoming, child-friendly and homely play environment. This helps children to feel safe and secure. The curriculum for communication and language development is seamlessly woven throughout the nursery. Staff recognise the importance of promoting language skills. From the baby room upwards, children hear a broad range of interesting vocabulary through a wide variety of commentary, stories and singing.

Children benefit from the extensive outdoor area. For instance, children play cooperatively as they balance and climb across an obstacle course. Older children roll balls down drainpipes. The garden and forest area provides children with opportunities to discover nature. They find woodlice and slugs, and chase leaves that fall from trees. Children excitedly ask staff questions about the insects they find. This helps children to develop their understanding of nature and the wider world. Staff manage children's behaviour well and sensitively support them to understand what is acceptable. Children are kind and courteous to each other. They have a good understanding of what is expected of them at nursery.

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

• Staff are excellent role models. Children's positive behaviour is promoted through praise and encouragement. Staff introduce expectations clearly and consistently to children. Older children provide support to younger children during play. For instance, when younger children struggle to fasten their role play clothes, older children help them. On the rare occasions that children have a disagreement, staff are on hand to support children to understand how to behave. This helps children to learn behavioural expectations.
• The leadership team is ambitious and knowledgeable. It is passionate about providing high-quality childcare. Staff are encouraged to develop their own professional development. There is a strong culture of reflective practice and sharing new ideas. Staff benefit from regular supervision meetings. All new staff have experienced mentors to provide guidance and advice. The leadership team prioritises staff's well-being. Staff report they are happy and feel well supported.
• Staff establish positive, professional working relationships with parents. They foster close relationships with parents and regularly update them on their child's progress. Parents speak very highly of the nursery. They comment that the nursery is 'fantastic' and the staff are 'wonderful and caring'. Parents appreciate the learning opportunities provided and the support to continue learning at home.
• Overall, the quality of teaching is good and occasionally outstanding. Staff plan interesting and exciting experiences that support all areas of learning. They demonstrate that they are familiar with the overall curriculum. However, at times, some staff do not always extend and challenge children's learning during activities. This means that children's learning is not always fully maximised.
• Staff support children's early literacy skills. Children demonstrate great recall from stories that they have experienced. For example, toddlers recall 'The Colour Monster' and find their favourite monster in the book. Older children recall 'The Gruffalo' as they search for him in forest school. Babies repeat sounds and noises from the animals in 'Dear Zoo'. This helps to develop children's speaking and listening skills and encourages a love of books.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff identify gaps in learning and plan early intervention. They work closely with parents and other professionals and professional bodies, such as schools, health visitors and the local authority, to create individual support plans.
• Children show increasing competence in completing tasks for themselves. For example, staff support younger children to feed themselves at lunchtime. Older children begin to self-serve and show great pride as they help to give out knives and forks at lunchtime. This helps to promote children's independence.
• Staff promote children's physical development well. Older children skilfully ride on push-along vehicles and dig using small tools. They show resilience and determination as they dig up soil to make 'strawberry cakes' in the mud kitchen. Toddlers carefully weave sticks through leaves, and babies roll paint across paper. This helps to develop their large- and small-muscle skills in preparation for early writing.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise opportunities to further extend children's learning to help all children make even greater progress.