Early Birds Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enter the nursery enthusiastically. Their key person greets them on arrival, which supports continuity of care.

The staff build strong bonds with the children, which helps them to feel safe and secure and settle into the nursery with ease. Children understand and follow established routines, such as hanging up their coats and removing their outdoor shoes. Children behave well and respond positively to the high expectations of staff.

They are polite and courteous, saying 'please' and 'thank you', usually without reminders. Children share and take turns. They pass each other toys and other items.

Staff ...have high expectations for children. The manager provides an ambitious curriculum which inspires children to explore and play. Children are highly motivated to learn.

They have great imaginations and use them well in their games. For example, children thoroughly enjoy stacking crates and chairs to make a 'camper van'. They have discussions with staff about what to pack and how long the journey will be.

Children are active learners and benefit from a well-designed curriculum to support their physical development. The routine and structure of the day enable children to spend time outdoors to explore, take age-appropriate risks and build on their interests. Older children enjoy balancing and skipping.

Babies display high levels of independence and resilience as they are carefully supported by staff to climb steps.

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

The manager ensures that high-quality care and education are offered for all children. She reflects on nursery practice and plans a broad curriculum that supports children effectively to make good progress.

Staff constantly reflect on how they can develop the curriculum to meet children's changing needs and interests. They use information from observations and assessments to plan activities.The manager supports and motivates the staff team well.

Staff talk enthusiastically about the impact of further training. For example, they describe how yoga training has helped them to support and extend children's physical development.Children of all ages show positive attitudes to learning.

For example, they display a genuine interest in activities and a love of books. Babies confidently approach staff with their favourite stories. Staff captivate children's interest through their skilful storytelling and children listen intently.

Staff read stories to the older children which support forthcoming events in their lives, such as starting school. Children explore their literacy ideas enthusiastically, such as through discussions, role play and artwork. This helps children to build firm foundations for their early reading skills.

Staff use a range of techniques to develop children's communication and language. They engage in thoughtful discussions and help children with their pronunciation of words. During child-initiated play activities, staff ask children high-quality questions that develop their thinking.

They teach children new vocabulary, which expands their knowledge. However, during adult-led activities, staff do not apply these teaching methods. For example, when children show the 'caterpillars' they have made, staff reply, 'Oh that is nice.'

However, they do not use their experience to extend children's language and thinking further.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported exceptionally well. They receive good levels of care and specific personal development plans.

Staff use additional funding to purchase role-play costumes and creative materials to help develop children's imaginative skills and understanding of taking turns. The nursery special educational needs and disabilities coordinator seeks the advice of external professionals, which helps to support the good progress the children make.Staff support children to develop their self-help skills.

For example, they select children to hand out cups at mealtimes. Children are eager to help staff and happily give their friends cups and plates. Older children pour their own drink from a jug.

Older babies open up their own lunch box and feed themselves using a spoon.Staff know the children in their care well and are confident about what they want children to learn and why. However, staff do not always develop older children's mathematical language effectively.

During activities and adult group times, staff do not consistently help children to name shapes and count to extend their vocabulary.Staff help children to learn about people, communities, similarities and differences. They involve children in community events, such as the coronation of the King.

Children make decorations and display them in a local charity shop window with staff support.Parents are extremely happy with the nursery. They speak of the noticeable progress their children have made since starting nursery.

They receive regular updates on their children's progress and next steps in learning. Staff offer parents a range of ideas on how they can help their children at home, such as reading books to them and supporting them with their self-care skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff receive regular ongoing safeguarding training to ensure that their knowledge is up to date. The nursery team works successfully to keep children as safe as possible and is confident in recognising the signs that a child may be at risk of harm. Staff are aware of the process they should follow if they were to have concerns about another member of staff.

They know the roles of the relevant local safeguarding partners and how to contact them. The manager regularly risk assesses the premises to ensure children's safety.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff consistently to develop children's language and critical-thinking skills further help children to develop their mathematical knowledge and skills further to enable them to name shapes and count.

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