Little Wonders Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, content and well behaved at this nursery. They achieve well because activities meet their individual learning needs.

For example, children learn key skills to develop their communication and language and have lots of opportunities to practise speaking to peers and adults. Staff use focused questioning to draw responses from children and give them sufficient time to think before they answer. Due to COVID-19, parents no longer routinely enter the nursery.

As a result, the transitions into nursery have been adapted to help children settle at their own pace. Children feel safe in the nurturing environme...nt because staff are kind and caring. This helps them to feel secure and valued.

All children, especially the most disadvantaged, benefit from outdoor learning. Staff promote children's physical skills well. The elevated outdoor area provides a unique space for many activities, such as a tyre obstacle course which helps to develop children's balance and agility.

Children also work their small muscles in preparation for early writing by using pincers to correctly grip a variety of objects. Children who speak English as an additional language are helped to become familiar with the setting quickly. Staff members speak a variety of languages and establish key phrases in children's home languages.

Children have many opportunities to learn about similarities and differences. For example, they celebrate different festivals and sample foods from around the world. Children use this knowledge to help better understand themselves and others.

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

Leaders and managers understand the role they play in creating a nursery that nurtures and develops children. The environment is rich in opportunity and excitement. Leaders and managers place great importance on staff training and well-being.

Staff receive effective inductions and ongoing training to be well qualified and effective in their roles. Regular supervisions also allow staff to feel valued and supported. This positive approach benefits all children.

While new to the nursery, the manager has used her previous experience to quickly identify the learning needs of the children who attend. The curriculum is implemented well to help develop children's learning, for instance in communication and language. Children join in a welcome song at the start of each session to say 'hello' to each other.

All children enthusiastically take part by singing together.Leaders and managers have made the most of the available space. Many resources are at child-accessible levels in well-organised spacious areas.

However, indoor activities are not utilised effectively enough to meet the curriculum intent. For example, children spend most of their time engaged in teacher-led activities and rarely access other areas independently. As a result, they have limited opportunities to choose their own play and activities.

Children benefit from an outdoor area with resources tailored to help further extend their learning. For example, they learn about quantities as they fill bottles with soil from the mud kitchen. Staff observe closely and contribute with careful questioning, which helps to extend children's vocabulary.

As a result, children use terms such as 'pour this' and 'make it full'. This also helps to deepen their interest in early mathematics.Children who speak English as an additional language are fully included.

Two-year-olds starting at the nursery with no English words receive lots of support to help them catch up. For example, they sit close to an activity for optimal hearing and carefully watch mouth movements of staff who are modelling good language. Staff members also speak multiple languages, which helps to develop children's understanding via their first language.

Children enjoy taking part in activities that link to book of the week. For example, having read 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?', children use different materials to create a bear's face. This helps to develop their creativity and make connections with the story.

However, across the nursery, children have limited access to books. This does not encourage them to explore books independently.The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is knowledgeable in the role and works with the staff to put interventions in place where required.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from personalised plans, with achievable steps that help them to make optimum progress.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff are trained to identify areas of concern in child protection.

They understand signs of abuse and what action to take if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. The premises are secure and no unauthorised people can gain access to the nursery. The elevated outdoor area is secured by a border of toughened reinforced glass all the way around.

In addition, a retractable canopy offers children protection from the heavy rain and harmful sun rays. Children feel safe and able to play uninhibited while benefiting from lots of fresh air.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nencourage the independent use of resources in the environment so that children have a wider range of learning experiences nincrease the exposure to books and reading in nursery so that children experience the joy of reading more regularly.

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