Young England Kindergarten

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are highly valued by a long serving, deeply caring staff team in this very close-knit nursery. Children often see the nursery as 'their second home' as stated by a parent spoken to during the inspection. Staff take great care to greet each child very warmly on arrival and build very close bonds with children.

The curriculum is extremely well thought out and linked intrinsically to children's skills and interests. All children make excellent progress. They are deeply engrossed in a very broad variety of highly absorbing and stimulating activities. Staff teach children about the world around them in very well structured and enriching way. For instance, children explore the smell and texture of tomatoes and cucumbers. They chop them to find seeds which they plant in the nursery garden. Staff teach them about how things grow and relate this well to healthy eating and how fruit and vegetables support good digestion. Children demonstrate excellent creative skills as they make their own boats using different tools and materials. Staff teach names of different parts of the boat, such as 'mast' and 'sail' and children skilfully mix colours together to make secondary colours to paint their boats.

Staff ensure all children are given equal opportunities to make excellent progress. For example, using thorough assessment methods, staff identified that boys were less inclined to experiment with tools and materials for early writing and drawing. They closed the gap in learning by covering tables and the parts of the floor with paper and provided different drawing and writing tools. This led to excellent outcomes where boys participated far more in early drawing and writing skills.

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

• Staff support children's communication, language and literacy skills in excellent ways. For instance, staff provide the story theme, 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' which they embed in different nursery activities. Children re-enact the story in pretend play and enjoy feeding the bears with real porridge oats. Children have a great love for books enhanced by weekly visits from a storyteller who arrives dressed as a story character. Some children are able to read simple words. Staff teach children ambitious vocabulary, such as 'digestion' and 'excited'. Children are highly articulate.
• Children have excellent mathematical skills, for instance, they count securely beyond 10 and perform simple addition. Staff teach children about shapes and children confidently name a range of shapes, including three-dimensional shapes, such as a cuboid.
• Staff provide excellent focus on helping children to understand different emotions. For instance, they use visual resources and daily discussion to help children to identify different feelings. Children have excellent understanding of a range of emotions and how to manage them. This leads to very good understanding of themselves and others. It reflects in their excellent behaviour and consideration for others.
• Staff teach children about difference very successfully. For instance, parents visit the nursery to teach children about Japanese and Jewish special festivals. Staff provide children with opportunities to taste food from around the world and hear traditional tales.
• Children have excellent independence. For example, they serve meals to each other at lunchtime and put away their cups and plates after eating. Children learn to put on their coats and shoes. They use tissues to wipe their own noses and dispose of them hygienically.
• Staff have very successful partnerships with parents. For instance, they carry out home visits which build very positive relationships with parents and children. Staff use a variety of highly effective ways to keep parents informed of children's progress, such as secure electronic messaging and parents evenings. Staff provide regular workshops for parents on different areas, such as behaviour management. Parents spoken during the inspection express high levels of satisfaction with the nursery. One parent said 'the nursery has surpassed our expectations by providing such a nurturing, safe and joyful environment for children'.
• The manager monitors and supports staff in excellent ways. For example, she regularly observes staff and provides feedback in supervision sessions on ways they can improve their practice. The manager is wholly committed to improving staff skills and knowledge. For instance, staff attended a course on supporting children's sensory play which has led to improvements in this area, to promote best outcomes for children.
• The manager is committed to enhancing all aspects of the nursery through a regular process of self-evaluation. She sets clear and aspirational goals, such as a commitment to ensuring that all staff are highly qualified in early years education.
• Children develop excellent physical skills. For instance, they enjoy the physical challenges set by staff through organised group games. Children practise their balancing skills on beams, climb across frames and use balls to practise their throwing and catching skills. Specialist ballet teachers and football coaches visit the nursery each week to enhance children's physical skills.
• Staff provide children with exceptionally healthy routines. They ensure that meals provided for children are very well balanced and appetising. The nursery provides a sugar and salt-free diet. The chef visits the nursery regularly with raw ingredients to talk with the children about how he makes meals and the nutritional value of eating well.
• Staff are extremely diligent in keeping children safe. They complete daily robust checks, indoors and outdoors, to reduce the risk of hazards. The manager carries out comprehensive checks on staff as part of the recruitment process to protect children from harm.