Yüme Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Many of the children who attend the nursery come from diverse backgrounds and speak multiple languages. This enables children to learn about each other's culture as well as similarities and differences between people. Children are happy and feel safe at nursery because they have a trusting relationship with staff, who are kind and approachable. Throughout the day, children receive lots of praise and reassurance from staff, which help to boost their self-esteem and confidence. Children's emotional well-being is supported effectively, resulting in good behaviour.

Children respond positively to the high expectations for their learning. For example, babies listen and join in when staff sing popular nursery songs. They smile and clap their hands enthusiastically to show their enjoyment. Toddlers practise their hand- to-eye coordination as they explore paints, supporting their creativity and imagination well. Pre-school children share with staff what they know about animals and their habitats. They talk about the importance of oral hygiene, which raises their awareness of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Children are motivated to play and learn. They gain the knowledge and skills that they need for their future education.

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

• Senior leaders and the manager are ambitious and committed to providing children with high-quality care and education. They ensure that they have a visible presence in the nursery, which helps to reassure staff, parents and their children.
• Staff report that they feel well supported by the manager. They have regular opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. For example, following training, some staff have learned how to use Makaton signs to promote children's language skills. This has had a positive impact, particularly on younger children. The manager acknowledges that some staff, such as those who are new and less confident, would benefit further from a more focused professional development. This will help staff to raise their teaching to the highest level.
• Children make good progress from their individual starting points. This is because staff make accurate observations and assessments of what children know and can do. They plan an ambitious, broad curriculum, which aims to support the nursery's vision of promoting children's creativity and cultural awareness. Occasionally, though, staff do not plan group activities as well as possible to enhance children's learning. This affects children's engagement and concentration.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents give positive comments about the service they and their children receive. They state that staff tell them about their children's learning and care routines, such as what they have eaten. Parents are particularly delighted with the weekly Spanish session, which helps their children to learn about other languages. They also appreciate the various events that staff organise, such as stay-and-play sessions and sports day.
• Staff work closely with the nursery chefs, who prepare home-made and nutritious meals that children really enjoy. Together, they check children's allergy and dietary requirements to promote their good health.
• Staff use polite words, such as 'please' and 'thank you', to teach children good manners. In addition, they encourage children to share and play cooperatively with each other.
• Children develop strong independence skills. For example, at snack times and mealtimes, younger children are beginning to feed themselves and scrape their plates. Those who are older manage their care routines well, such as handwashing and toileting.
• The manager seeks the views of other professionals and parents to help evaluate the quality of the provision effectively. This reflective practice enables her to identify areas in need of development. For example, the manager is currently working on extending the outdoor curriculum to further enrich children's learning experiences.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• sharpen the monitoring of staff's practice, particularly those who are new and less experienced, and engage them in more targeted professional development to raise the quality of teaching to the highest level
• plan group activities more effectively to fully promote children's engagement and concentration.