YMCA Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Parents are not able to come into the nursery due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. They leave their children with a member of staff at the main entrance. Staff greet children and parents warmly on arrival. This supports children to feel safe and secure. Children enter the nursery happily. They have big smiles on their faces. They demonstrate that they thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. Children are enthusiastic learners and become quickly absorbed in their play.

Children behave well and staff teach them the importance of being respectful to others, to share and take their turn. Children receive praise for their efforts and achievements. This develops their self-esteem and motivates them to continue to persevere at their chosen task. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring the outdoor area. They enthusiastically dig in the soil and delight in squirting water from bottles. They are keen to water the tomato plants to help them grow. However, there are times where staff are quick to do things for children rather than encouraging them to do things for themselves. Children in the baby room develop their independence from an early age. They learn how to feed themselves using a spoon at mealtimes.

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

• The manager and staff offer a balanced curriculum that covers the seven areas of learning. Staff know what their key children need to learn next and help children build on what they know and can do. They base activities on children's interests. Staff focus on developing children's social skills and vocabulary. Staff repeat words to develop children's understanding. They encourage children with delayed speech to communicate in different ways. Staff use pictures and simple sign language to help them.
• The manager and staff work hard to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They liaise with other professionals and parents to put plans in place to support children to reach their full potential. Achievable targets are set to promote the children's ongoing care and progression in their development.
• The learning environment is inviting and there are lots of exciting resources that are easily accessible to children. Staff plan enjoyable activities that children are keen to take part in. There are times when staff interrupt children's play to do something new. This takes children away from activities that they are highly engaged in.
• Assessment is used well to check what children can do. Staff know their key children well. They talk about them knowledgeably. Staff keep parents informed about their children's development. They have worked closely with parents throughout the pandemic, helping them to continue their children's learning at home. Parents speak highly of the nursery and are aware of the progress their children are making. They have recommended it to others.
• The support for children to develop their physical skills is strong. Staff provide babies with resources and activities that help them to develop strength and coordination. Pre-school children enjoy making big marks with chalk on the blackboard in the garden. They are proud of their skills when they climb the frame to the slide. Babies practise these skills on a smaller frame and slide in their room.
• Staff promote children's interest in books and familiar stories. Babies choose their own book and learn how to handle them as they look at the pictures. Older children sit and listen to a story being read. They look at the pictures and are eager to say what is happening in the story.
• Early mathematical skills are taught well to children. During group time, staff provide children with large pictures to help them learn and recognise a wide range of shapes. Children are excited when they successfully identify a triangle or a square.
• The management team evaluates the nursery well and continually drives improvement. They have a clear and ambitious vision for the setting and have action plans in place for improvement. All staff are enthusiastic in their roles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review how routines are implemented so that children's play and learning are not interrupted
• support staff to better recognise and make more effective use of spontaneous opportunities to extend children's learning and independence skills.