Zig Zag Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop a sense of belonging at this welcoming and inclusive nursery. They demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning and are respected as unique individuals. Children show curiosity as they explore the resources. They use magnifying glasses to search for minibeasts in the outdoor wooded area. Children show excitement and fascination, when they discover woodlice and are introduced to words, such as 'wriggle', as they watch the creatures move. They learn to identify the differences between wild animals, such as a tiger and leopard, successfully count the number of legs on the toy elephant and eagerly 'roar' like a lion. From a young age, children are encouraged to take responsibility and to develop their independence skills.

Children enthusiastically work together to fill different sized containers with sand, and demonstrate pride in their achievements. Children learn to use tools for a purpose. They handle hole punchers, scissors and staplers during creative activities and spades to cover their sunflower seeds with soil. Additionally, staff support the children to use a real drill to secure nails into wood. Children become involved in imaginary play at the mud kitchen. Younger children learn to concentrate, persevere and problem solve as they stack foam blocks on top of one another. They develop their muscle strength as they prod and squeeze dough. Younger children learn to care for the baby dolls, and are shown how to use a pretend stereoscope. They explore the sensory texture of the oats and make marks on paper with the paint.

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

• The dedicated manager works hard and values everyone's contribution to the nursery. Everyone strives to continually look at ways to improve the nursery. For example, plans are underway to further develop a forest school area within the grounds. Management has worked hard during the COVID-19 pandemic to support the well-being of the staff, parents and children. Additionally, management and staff recognised that some children needed additional support with their emotional well-being and language development on their return to nursery. As a result of the pandemic, the nursery has experienced some staff changes. Nevertheless, newly appointed members of staff and less experienced staff are continuing to develop their knowledge and skills to implement the curriculum and their interactions with the children. However, this is not yet securely embedded in practice.
• Staff structure the curriculum to build on what children know and can already do, while taking account of children's interests. They have a clear intent about what they want children to learn, developing their knowledge and skills as they join in their play. Staff also value the benefits of the children coming together as a group, for example to listen to a story and to participate in activities to enhance their language skills. However, very occasionally, staff interrupt the children's play and the activities they are thoroughly enjoying to do this.
• Staff are kind, caring and attentively attend to the children's needs. These positive interactions help children to form secure attachments and supports their emotional well-being well. Children are confident to approach staff for reassurance or to ask for things they need. They enjoy their time at the nursery and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure.
• Staff place high emphasis on developing children's communication and language skills. They communicate well with the children, including children who speak English as an additional language. Staff introduce and model the correct use of words and introduce new vocabulary, such as 'gooey' and 'sticky', as the children make dough. They encourage children to use words to describe picture cards and to sing songs. Older children describe the pictures they have drawn and are learning to form recognisable letters.
• The manager and staff develop a strong partnership with parents. Parents speak highly of their children's experiences at the nursery, including the support they receive. They praise the care and the range of activities provided for their children. Parents say children make progress and develop confidence. They also say that they feel well informed about their child's achievements through regular discussions and developmental reviews with the staff.
• Staff effectively support children who receive early years pupil premium. Additional funding has been used to enable staff to attend additional training courses and to purchase further resources. Furthermore, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive good levels of support. Staff work very closely with the children's families and other professionals. Achievable targets are immediately set and swift adaptations are made to activities. This enables every child to participate in the activities provided at the nursery.
• Overall, children respond well when staff remind them about expectations for their behaviour. Children learn to play cooperatively with their friends, to share the resources and to wait their turn. They are praised for their efforts and achievements, which effectively builds children's confidence.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff even more to develop their knowledge and skills to enable them to implement the curriculum and enhance their interactions with the children
• review the organisation of planned routines to enable children to develop and complete activities they are enjoying.