The Little Village Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children flourish in the vibrant nursery. They feel that it is truly their nursery and show that they feel safe as they move confidently around the room. Children's attitudes towards their learning are overwhelmingly positive.

They are constantly deeply engaged in exciting learning opportunities. Children mix their own 'paint' as they mash up fruit and mix it into yoghurt. They notice how it is different from the traditional paint that they have used before.

Staff have high expectations of all children, including those children who find aspects of their learning more difficult. Staff encourage children to keep o...n trying and praise all children's efforts. They hold daily group discussions where children decide what each of them has tried particularly hard at that day.

Children decide that their friend should receive a sticker for drawing 'excellent squares'. Staff extend children's speaking skills at every opportunity, using interesting vocabulary. For example, staff encourage children to recall the colours 'teal' and 'magenta' from a previous activity.

This supports the developing fluency and confidence in their speech.Children behave exceptionally well. They confidently seek out adults who are new to them and engage them in discussions about their families.

Children hold thoughtful conversations with their friends and staff. They wonder what giraffes eat and decide that giraffes probably eat broccoli. Children are incredibly thoughtful and take particular care around younger children.

For example, older children happily let toddlers go before them in the queue for lunch.

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

The manager and staff plan for children's learning in an exceptionally thoughtful manner. They are ambitious for all children and ensure that the activities they plan cover all areas of learning and a broad range of topics.

Staff know children very well and include children's current and changing interests in their planning. For example, when children visit a fairground, staff plan activities for them to create their own roller coasters. Children choose resources such as ramps and boxes to make their structures.

This captures their imaginations and extends their thinking skills excellently.Staff's monitoring and assessment process complements how well they know children. Staff identify emerging gaps in children's learning and development and put strategies in place to ensure that children do not fall behind.

Some children have lower starting points due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff are committed to helping these children to exceed expectations. For instance, staff put together comprehensive packages of resources and strategies to support individual children's speech and language development.

They share these with parents so that children are consistently using the same techniques. Consequently, all children make excellent progress, regardless of their different starting points.The manager and staff are devoted to passing on a love of reading.

The manager points out the author of each book to children. Staff use stories to help children to consider their actions. For example, when staff notice some children treating resources with less than the utmost care, they use a story to demonstrate why this is important.

Children recall this and remember to treat toys and books with respect.Staff support children's physical development very well. Children enjoy 'Welly Wednesdays' when they take the manager's dog for a walk, which helps them to learn about the responsibility of taking care of animals.

Children learn to manage their own risk as they climb the wooden frames in the playground and develop their coordination skills. They benefit from the sports sessions which are run by the nursery's own personal trainer and are planned for the specific needs of each group of children taking part. This helps children to learn to follow instructions and supports their overall well-being.

Staff help children to develop their independence skills. Children serve their own food and determine their own portion sizes. Children begin to understand how they are unique.

They celebrate the differences in each other's backgrounds. For example, children's family members share books from their Turkish heritage and children learn some Turkish words and phrases. This helps children to begin to understand about the diverse world around them.

Parents are delighted with the fantastic learning experiences offered to their children. Parents feel involved in every step of their children's learning. Staff give parents individual learning goals for their children and a wealth of ideas on how to help children to progress towards these goals.

The manager is dedicated to supporting her staff's well-being and professional development. Staff share learning with each other to improve experiences for children. For example, staff complete training around teaching mathematics to children aged under two years.

Consequently, staff gain confidence in their skills, and young children make excellent progress in this area of learning. Staff feel exceptionally well supported and are committed to their roles.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have a thorough understanding of safeguarding practices and procedures, including radicalisation and extremism. They understand how to identify children who may be at risk of harm and how to keep children safe. The manager and staff understand the procedures to follow if they have a concern about the welfare of a child.

The manager and staff take extra care around access to the premises as they share some facilities with the school on the same site. Staff help children to become aware of managing their own safety. For example, children take extra care when using facilities shared by children attending the school.

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