Nature Trail Nursery Euxton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thrive in this nurturing and inclusive environment. They arrive with excitement, greeting staff warmly and eager to start their day. Relationships between staff and children are warm.

Staff consider children's well-being and offer nurturing emotional support to children.Staff create a safe and welcoming space where children can freely explore their interests. Children enjoy uninterrupted play and take part in meaningful learning experiences.

They enjoy building superhero houses and filling and emptying containers with pom-poms, which support children's physical development. Staff follow children's lead, encour...aging curiosity and exploration. For example, children invite adults to sing nursery rhymes or read their favourite books.

As result, children develop their imaginations and a love of stories.Children demonstrate independence and self-confidence during everyday routines. They take responsibility for tasks, such as pouring drinks and tidying up.

Staff have high expectations for behaviour. Staff model politeness and provide gentle reminders to say 'please' and 'thank you'. In turn, children are polite and considerate towards others.

Parents and carers praise the setting's family-like atmosphere, highlighting how well staff communicate with them and how effectively children's social and emotional skills are nurtured. Children make good progress and leave the setting well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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

The setting has developed an ambitious curriculum that prioritises children's communication.

Staff encourage children to talk about their interests and ideas, helping to develop their communication skills. However, some staff are less skilled at extending young children's speaking skills. For example, at times, staff do not give children enough time to process questions.

This means that children's communication skills are not consistently supported.Staff provide superb support for emotional well-being. They tailor this to individual needs, such as using one-to-one calming games outdoors to help children understand their emotions.

As a result, children develop confidence in managing their feelings and resolving conflicts independently.Staff show a genuine interest in following children's interests. They provide resources to spark curiosity and encourage independent thinking.

For instance, when children explore making puddles, staff supply buckets and allow them to decide how much water to use. This supports children to develop problem-solving skills.The curriculum places a strong emphasis on outdoor learning.

Children improve their fine motor skills through activities such as peeling onions or hammering plastic nails into pumpkins. They also build their large muscles by painting fences with rollers and participating in running races. These activities help children develop the coordination that is needed for early writing.

Staff weave counting activities seamlessly into children's play and everyday routines. Older children eagerly count items at snack time and discuss their favourite numbers, while younger children enjoy singing number rhymes. Consequently, children develop positive attitudes towards early mathematical concepts.

The nursery has a strong partnership with families. Parents and carers appreciate the high level of communication about children's learning and development. Parents and carers value how well staff support their children's progress, particularly in developing social skills.

Staff are committed to inclusive practice. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and looked-after children are supported well. Staff work closely with families and external professionals to monitor children's progress and set clear developmental targets.

This ensures that every child receives the right support they need to thrive.Leaders are reflective and aim to provide high-quality, inclusive care. Regular supervision sessions are conducted with staff.

However, they are not fully effective in supporting staff to identify and understand areas for improvement. As a result, staff are sometimes unclear on what they need to do to extend and raise the quality of their practice further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance the way staff ask questions so that children are given enough time to think about their answers and responses, in order to support their communication and language skills.strengthen supervision arrangements to help staff identify areas for improvement and raise the overall quality of their practice further.