Zig Zag Day Nursery Corby

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children with a warm welcome when they arrive, and children are eager to say hello. Children who need support to separate from their parents are managed with sensitivity and gentleness by staff. They give children lots of reassurance and cuddles as they successfully distract children and show them what they can play with. As a result of the staff's positive approach, children are happy and confident at nursery. They confidently choose what they want to do.

Staff encourage children to take part in messy and sensory play experiences. Children select the paint colours they want and squeeze the paint into the tray themselves to prepare for painting a picture. Children are curious and interested in the activities, and they play well together. Staff are consistent in their approach and use clear reminders and explanations to help children work together and be aware of others. Children thoroughly enjoy taking part in the activities with staff and remain engaged for significant periods. Staff support children with their mathematical learning. Children use different-sized containers and scales to scoop sand and weigh it. Staff help children understand the concepts of heaviest and lightest, as they encourage them to compare the bigger and smaller containers to see the difference.

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

• Staff are supported and valued by the leaders. The manager inspires the staff to reflect on their work and interactions with children. She encourages them to increase their knowledge and skills through training and provides constructive feedback after observing their practice. This reflective approach results in changes that have a positive impact on children. For example, pre-school and toddler children are now cared for as one group. This has helped children to engage more, learn from each other, and make new friends.
• The staff know the children well. They offer a curriculum built on children's interests, their professional knowledge, and children's individual next steps in learning. Staff are confident as they interact with children. They know how to extend children's focus. Children are interested in toy emergency vehicles and dressing-up clothes after a recent visit from firefighters in their fire engine. Staff extend the children's interest through discussion and provide them with a pretend fire and water spray bottles so they can put the fire out. This extension of children's interest promotes their speaking and contributes to their coordination skills as staff show them how to press the trigger on the bottle to make the water spray.
• Overall, staff promote children's language skills well. They introduce interesting conversations and new vocabulary. Staff use effective questioning with older children to help children develop their thinking and language skills. However, on occasion some younger children loose interest in interactions with staff as they are not always differentiated to the children's level of development.
• Staff encourage children to be independent. They demonstrate to pre-school children how to hold the top of their packet of crisps, saying 'pinch and pull'. Children show delight when they open the packet themselves. Staff show toddlers which feet their shoes go on and praise them when they put them on independently.
• Staff support children to be aware of their feelings. They have a sensitive, perceptive approach and step in quickly when children need help. Staff use books and toys to help children name their feelings and learn to manage them positively. Staff quickly notice when children need help and step in to provide guidance and reassurance to help children calm down. However, on occasion younger children are not given clear messages about changes to routines and what is happening next.
• Staff work hard to help children and their families. They offer flexibility in the sessions, which children attend, to support parents' working patterns. Staff ensure parents have detailed daily feedback and offer more detailed discussions during parent evenings or when children need additional support. Staff value the information parents share with them about their child's interests and achievements at home. They take account of these when they plan activities. Effective partnership working contributes to children receiving a consistent approach to their care and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and improve the organisation of some daily routines, so the youngest children do not have to wait too long when activities change, and staff help them understand what is happening next
• help staff develop skills to be even more effective in differentiating language to the age and stage of the children.