Zahra Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff enthusiastically welcome children and their families into this caring and supportive nursery. Children smile happily and parents enjoy watching as their children confidently say 'goodbye' and eagerly go to explore the available activities. Children benefit from high levels of staff support. The small number of children in attendance enables staff to work directly with individual or very small groups of children. Overall, staff use the overarching curriculum effectively and build on what children already know and can do. This means that children enjoy a wide range of activities that help them to become confident learners. Children develop the skills and attitudes they will need to be ready for the next stage in their learning.

Children behave well and are supported by staff to achieve good levels of personal independence. Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging and warmly welcome visitors into their nursery. Staff continuously promote children's physical development. Older children demonstrate their increasing dexterity and emerging mathematical knowledge as they compare shape and size before excitedly wrapping boxes, to make pretend presents for their friends. Close supervision ensures children's safety as they play. Staff help children to assess and manage risk as they learn how to safely negotiate the stairs to access the outdoor play area.

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

• Since the previous inspection, the provider has taken steps to address weaknesses. The newly recruited manager evaluates the quality of the provision effectively and is keen to further enhance the quality of education provided. She currently works directly alongside staff to ensure that children receive good-quality care and education.
• Leaders are clear about how the curriculum should be taught. They fully understand that what children are taught in the early years will help them to be successful in their future learning. Staff gain a good knowledge of each child's capabilities and previous experiences when they first start to attend the nursery. This means that children benefit from a meaningful educational programme that is tailored to their individual learning needs as early as possible.
• The skilled manager uses her time working alongside staff to help identify staff training needs. She provides coaching and support as she models good practice. However, staff are not fully supported to access additional training to further improve their teaching skills and develop their professional knowledge.
• Overall, staff successfully promote the acquisition of language. Staff model language well and monitor the progression of children's speech and communication skills closely. They work with parents to support children, including those who speak English as an additional language. This helps to ensure that potential delays are quickly identified and additional support is provided as early as possible.
• Stories, singing and rhyme time are securely embedded into the curriculum. Children are supported to develop a love of books from a very young age. Role play is particularly well used to enhance children's communication and language skills. However, on occasion, not all staff give enough consideration to children's current capabilities. They do not always focus enough on the repetition of keywords or give children the time they need to formulate a verbal response. This means that some children are, at times, overwhelmed by quick questioning or complex sentences.
• Staff consistently support children as they learn to recognise and manage their feelings and emotions. Expected behaviours are clearly explained and children value the friendships they have with their peers. This helps children to learn the importance of socially acceptable behaviour.
• Children enjoy seasonal activities that strengthen their understanding of the natural world, and they benefit from occasional outings into the local community. However, opportunities for children to develop a deeper understanding of the lives of others beyond their immediate families and the local community are limited. This means that children are not fully supported to strengthen their understanding of the diversity of life in modern Britain.
• Staff help children to learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They explain the benefits of exercise and provide clear healthy eating guidelines for parents. Children of all ages enjoy a varied educational programme that encourages children to be physically active. This helps to promote children's good health and well-being.
• Staff help children to learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They explain the benefits of exercise and provide clear healthy eating guidelines for parents. Children of all ages enjoy a varied educational programme that encourages children to be physically active. This helps to promote children's good health and well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to implement a consistently high-quality educational programme for language and communication
• strengthen the educational programme to deepen children's understanding of the diversity of life in modern Britain
• provide more opportunities to extend staff's professional development and to help children to make the best possible progress with their learning.