Yewkids Nursery at Yewdale Community Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The devoted staff cherish every child and place them at the heart of everything they do. Staff recognise that children have spent much less time away from their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. They provide a bespoke virtual tour of the nursery, to help to equip children with the knowledge of what nursery life is like. This is contributing towards children's emotional security on entry. The thoughtful staff praise children's special 'wow moments'. They tune in to children's current interests to value their successes. For example, children beam from ear to ear when staff pretend to call 'Buzz Lightyear' to tell them about their new-found ability to manage their personal care needs. Children display impeccable behaviour. They listen to staff and follow their instructions. Children show care and consideration for others who are new to the nursery. They kindly take hold of their hand and lead them indoors when the outdoor play session is finished. Children are incredibly happy and settled. They have a wonderful time at this inclusive nursery. Leaders and staff have extremely high expectations for every child. They spark children's natural curiosity and desire to learn. Children are highly motivated individuals who immerse themselves in their play and learning. Younger children use a wide range of complex language when talking about dinosaurs. They use their imagination to create a boat using crates and planks and embark on a 'rescue mission' to 'save the turtles'. Older children gain an excellent knowledge of rhythm when clapping in time to the syllables of their name. They pretend that a mug tree is a rocket and count backwards from 10 to one. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) listen to their favourite stories with increasing attention and enjoy using linked props, such as a telescope. They follow instructions with two and three parts during imaginative play and use their excellent physical skills to copy marks, such as wavy lines, when exploring sand.

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

• The expert staff have a superb understanding of children's learning needs and interests. They engage in high-quality interactions, to extend on children's knowledge and skills at every opportunity. For example, staff encourage children to explore sea creatures, shells and rocks during water play. They step in to help children to gain a greater awareness of scientific concepts, such as floating and sinking. Additionally, during a game of football, staff intervene to teach children more complex skills, such as how to dribble a ball. This contributes towards the outstanding progress that all children make in their learning.
• The inspiring manager and her team of dedicated staff work together seamlessly. They draw on each other's strengths to create an ambitious team. The manager engages staff in regular supervision sessions. She continues to source meaningful training for staff that focuses on the needs of the children.
• Support for children with SEND is outstanding. Staff go over and above to secure timely interventions and target early help and support for children at the earliest opportunity. The magnificent one-to-one support and purposeful sensory aids are contributing towards the rapid and substantial progress that all children are making over short periods of time.
• In response to the impact of the pandemic, staff are placing a very sharp emphasis on bridging any gaps in children's communication and language development. Staff are quick to build on children's splendid range of vocabulary. For example, they listen to children talking about prehistoric animals and introduce them to new terms, such as 'herbivore' and 'fossil'. This contributes towards children's ever extending range of vocabulary. Vast amounts of funding are being used to engage children in story and song sessions that are successfully supporting them to become eloquent communicators.
• Partnerships with parents are superb. Staff invite children to take books home from the 'bath, book and bed library'. This is helping to promote consistent routines that have a positive impact on children's physical well-being. Purposeful workshops, such as those relating to speech and language and school readiness, are supporting parents to build on their children's skills at home. Parents say that 'Staff have children's best interests at heart.' They express that 'The small staff team make a huge impression on all of the children they care for.'
• Staff have high aspirations for children's behaviour. Due, in part, to the pandemic and other social factors, staff are increasingly aware that some children struggle to regulate their behaviour. The daily 'mini-me well-being check-in sessions' are providing opportunities for children to express their feelings and emotions more freely. This is contributing towards children's positive mental well-being. Younger children are gaining the ability to place their favourite toys into a special basket, to free up time to play with their friends. Older children are extremely thoughtful and willingly help to clear up any spillages at snack time.
• The energetic staff engage children in exciting exercise routines, such as yoga, to help to enhance their balance, flexibility and core strength. Children actively take part. They demonstrate their growing ability to breathe in through their nose and out through their mouth when pretending to 'blow up a bubble'. Children show advancing physical skills when posing as a 'warrior' and 'jellyfish'.