Ash Park Childcare

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and settled in the nursery. Interactions between children and staff are positive and support the development of strong bonds. Children also develop friendships with their peers.

The key-person system is generally effective, but sometimes changes unnecessarily. Despite this, all staff across the nursery know all of the children well. This helps children when they move into another room.

An appropriate educational programme has been developed and is in place across the nursery; it is understood by all staff. However, there are not yet clear procedures in place to evaluate the ongoing effectiveness of t...he programme on individual children's outcomes for learning and development. Children are well behaved and have a positive attitude towards learning.

They are engaged, busy and meaningfully occupied throughout the day. Children receive calm and sensitive reminders from staff about expected behaviours, such as sharing and taking turns. This helps to promote children's personal, social and emotional development.

Children talk about what they like to do at nursery, such as playing with their friends, playing outside and visiting a forest school. They also talk about what they like to do at forest school, including 'sliding down mud banks and swinging in the hammock'.

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

Children benefit from a wide range of activities to promote all areas of learning.

Teaching is effective. Staff are confident and state that they are well supported in their roles.Staff are sensitive to babies' needs and quickly identify when they need a sleep.

However, in the Daffodils room, staff do not always promptly recognise when a nappy needs changing.Children are provided with a range of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks throughout the day. They also have opportunities to decide what they would like to eat.'

Choosy Tuesdays' allows the children to choose lunch once a week, via a voting system. This helps the older children to learn about fairness and equality.Eating times are relaxed and sociable occasions with staff sitting with children and allowing them the time they need to finish their food.

Language and communication skills are also promoted continuously throughout the daily routine and during regular singing and story time sessions.Staff have high expectations for children's learning. They help older children to practise and further develop skills they already have.

For example, older children can already cut paper confidently. Here, staff introduce different items that need more pressure, such as felt and other materials.Children's physical development is well promoted.

They participate in exercise, indoors and outdoors, and have access to a new, enclosed, outdoor play area. Good use is made of the outdoor space, with a varied range of resources available to promote all areas of learning.All children enjoy a weekly dance session with a dance teacher, who visits the nursery.

Sessions help to promote children's listening skills and their ability to follow instructions, as well as their language skills and physical development. This includes their coordination and balance. Children also learn about their local community, and visit the library and church.

Staff work well with parents and other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents are invited into the setting, where detailed handover information is provided to each parent from their child's key person. Parents comment that they are happy with the care and learning their children receive and feel their children have made good progress.

There is strong leadership in the setting. The manager has ensured that excellent progress and improvements have been made since the last inspection. For example, room partitions have been removed and children have access to a second room, to ensure they have sufficient free-play space available at all times.

Staff have access to ongoing online training courses and have recently benefited from face-to-face behaviour management training. There is also an effective staff supervision system in place which identifies staff training and welfare needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Clear staff recruitment and induction procedures are in place and include safeguarding training. Staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how to safeguard children and of the procedures to follow, should they have any concerns. Staff complete appropriate risk assessments on a daily basis, to maintain a safe indoor and outdoor environment.

Children are also helped to learn about personal safety and talk about needing a seat belt when in cars and tractors. When the fire alarm is activated, staff show that they are able to follow the evacuation procedure effectively and quickly 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: nenhance the key-person system to promote consistency and reduce unnecessary changes to staff liaising with parents develop clear procedures to continuously evaluate the effectiveness of the educational programme for individual children's learning and development support staff to identify when children's nappies may need changing, sooner than at routine times.