Young And Smart Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children warmly at the start of the day. They take time to engage with parents and carers to understand each child's start to the day. This helps to foster strong relationships and emotional security. The setting has a broad and ambitious curriculum in place that supports all children to make progress in their learning and development. Children are excited and curious to explore what is on offer. They show focus and high levels of concentration while completing activities. Staff accurately observe and monitor children's development to continuously understand what it is children need to learn next.

Children's behaviour is good. Staff are positive role models for children and provide an environment that is full of praise and encouragement. They provide activities where children learn to work together to achieve a result. Pre-school children work as a group to take turns putting ingredients into a large tray and mixing them to make their own red dough. They use their past knowledge of making dough to support each other with what should happen next. The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is good. Staff are quick to identify where children may need additional support. They collaborate with parents and other agencies to achieve the next outcomes for all children.

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

• Staff prioritise children's communication and language. They use the knowledge gained from attending training to provide an environment rich in language. Babies enjoy songs and rhymes throughout the day. Staff also use lots of repetition to support language development, such as 'splash, splash' as babies happily play in the water tray. Older children have a 'book of the week' which staff use to embed new key language and help children to recall simple ideas and stories. Children are confident to use their voices to share their ideas and ask questions.
• Staff are sensitive to the care needs and routines of younger babies. Staff working with babies are nurturing and kind, and babies settle quickly. They enjoy cuddles but still build confidence quickly to begin to go off and explore. Staff stay close to babies, extending their play. Babies smile contently as staff swish balls around them in the ball pit.
• Staff provide children with a unique range of experiences tailored to their interest and developmental stages. This encourages active participation and exploration from children. However, at times, staff intervene too quickly when children encounter challenges. By offering solutions prematurely, this unintentionally limits opportunities for children to learn through trial and error to help to develop their thinking skills.
• Staff plan a range of activities that help to develop children's understanding of the world around them. Children take walks within the local community to visit the local fish and fruit stalls at the markets. They visit local schools and take part in tailored focused activities. Staff provide extra-curricular classes with external teachers in sports and music to help children to learn about different ways to move their bodies and stay healthy.
• Staff are beginning to encourage children to be independent, especially those that are older. Children serve their own meals and take their plates back to the hatch of the kitchen. However, this is not consistent within all age groups. As staff quickly get toddlers ready for the garden, they rush to put on their coats and hats for them, rather than slowing down to give them the opportunity to practise these skills themselves.
• Partnership with parents is good. Parents speak extremely positively about the setting, describing it as a 'family'. Parents comment that communication is excellent and they always feel well informed of what their children are learning and how this can be extended at home. Parents know who their child's key person is and who they can go to if they have any concerns.
• Managers are reflective and continue to look at what more they can implement to enhance the service they provide. For example, after feedback from parents about storage space within the buggy area, managers were quick to implement a change to the use of the space. This ensures that those families with younger babies and prams had priority over bicycles and scooters.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to independently problem-solve before stepping in to support, to further develop their thinking skills
• enhance opportunities for children to increase their independence skills, especially during transition times.