Yewlands Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

All children are warmly welcomed into this inclusive and supportive nursery. Children are very happy here and their safety is a priority. Children thrive on the positive relationships they develop with both their peers and members of staff. Children behave well and achieve very high levels of independence. They become confident, curious learners who are keen to explore the very appealing and accessible learning environment. Children demonstrate a very strong sense of belonging and warmly welcome visitors to their nursery. Children are eager to talk about what they are doing and what they have learned, explaining that carnivores eat meat.

Children enjoy sensory play in abundance. They investigate and explore a vast range of textures, natural objects and materials that they can use creatively in many ways. Children purposefully select and add different resources to extend their play. For example, cardboard tubes are used as a garage for the car. Older children are learning about simple scientific concepts. They think about the different ways they can try to free a toy dinosaur from the ice. One child explains that the cold water will not work and they need warm water to melt the ice.

Children enjoy a wide range of activities and experiences that help them develop the skills and attitudes they will need for school. Staff remain very mindful of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had, particularly on children's social and emotional development. To help address this, staff throughout the setting prioritise children's emotional well-being.

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

• The education provision is strong and children benefit from a well-sequenced curriculum. Staff are knowledgeable about what they want the children to learn within each room. This helps to ensure that children are ready for the next stage in their learning and are well prepared for school. However, the educational programme to deepen children's understanding of the diversity of life in modern Britain is less well developed.
• The management team are clear about how the curriculum should be taught. They fully understand that what children are taught in the early years will help them be successful in their future learning. The manager has made significant improvements since the last inspection. She continually evaluates the quality of the nursery provision and is keen to strengthen the provision for outdoor learning. This will help to ensure that children who prefer to learn outdoors benefit from the same high quality and rich experiences that are currently provided indoors.
• Staff have high aspirations for all children and provide support and encouragement to help ensure that every child gets a good start in their education.
• Children are learning to assess risk and to keep themselves and others safe. Older children take turns to wear a high-visibility jacket and take their pen and clipboard to conduct their own risk assessment of the outdoor play area. Children are very proud of their designated roles and are clearly motivated by their individual responsibilities. Children set tables for lunch using the real crockery from the dresser. They are supported to consider the number of children who will be dining and use their emerging mathematical knowledge to count and check they have the correct number of cups, bowls and spoons.
• Children are learning about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how this helps to promote their good health and well-being. They have daily opportunities to be physically active outdoors. Children enjoy a wide range of freshly prepared healthy meals and snacks. They welcome the cook each morning as she shows and talks to them about the ingredients that will be used in their lunchtime meal.
• The provision for learning through role play, particularly in the toddler room, is exceptional. Staff have used an excellent range of everyday items to recreate a small home. This hidden gem at the rear of the toddler room is continually in use as children explore a treasure trove of real-life items to recreate real-life experiences.
• The curriculum for communication and language is strong. Staff model language and introduce new words to extend children's vocabulary. In the main, staff talk precisely. They encourage children to respond in sentences and correct mispronunciation sensitively. Children are interested in books and the written word. They are learning to handle books with care and turn pages correctly.
• Staff feel valued and work well as a team. Overall, professional development is good. Staff discuss training needs at regular supervision sessions. They access online training to gain some of the knowledge they need to further improve outcomes for children. However, some staff are less confident in their ability to support children to gain a deeper understanding of mathematics.
• Parents comment positively on the care and quality of education their children receive. They feel well informed about their child's time at nursery and talk positively about the discussions they have with staff when they collect their children and when using the online system to exchange information.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend the programme of professional development to raise staff's understanding and confidence in delivering a strong educational programme for mathematics
• strengthen the educational programme to deepen children's understanding of the diversity of life in modern Britain
• enhance the provision for outdoor learning.