Little Foxes (Newton Le Willows)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, settled and enjoy attending the nursery. They welcome adults into their play and are eager to share their experiences. Although parents have been unable to enter the nursery, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this has not affected children.

This is due to the bonds children develop with the staff who support them.Children confidently select their resources. Staff re-introduce resources and help children to understand how to care for them.

Children explore a range of experiences, for example, they are inquisitive and become engaged in describing how ice feels. They excitedly talk about how they can see t...heir breath while playing outside. Children are eager to join in the activities planned for them.

For example, children relish playing with the play dough they made themselves. They use their fingers and hands to roll and pat the play dough to make objects and add natural objects, such as stones, cones and shells, to create their own masterpiece.Generally, children behave well and are learning to follow instructions with reminders.

Staff intervene when behaviours are not wanted. However, they do not consistently explain why some behaviour is not wanted or support children to develop the skills to resolve their own conflicts in the future.

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

The recently promoted nursery manager is supported in her role by the area manager and directors.

Along with her staff team, the manager understands the impact that the pandemic has had on children's progress. The curriculum has been adapted to address any gaps that have arisen in children's knowledge and skills. Staff are re-establishing routines and supporting children to develop their personal, social and emotional skills, alongside their communication and physical skills.

Plans for the effective use of additional funding are developed and include enhancing the garden area with new equipment for children who need to develop their physical skills further.The manager monitors the quality of the provision. Regular training opportunities support the setting to remain up to date.

Staff feel well supported by the manager and area manager, and regular supervisions support them to develop their practice. Managers provide a variety of additional opportunities, including counselling and 'treat days', to help to support staff health and well-being.Overall, most staff, particularly those who act as a child's key person, are clear in what they intend for children to learn when engaged in activities with them.

They respond to children's emerging interests well. However, newer or less-experienced staff are not consistently precise in identifying the key skills and knowledge that they wish for children to learn as they support them in their free play.Staff plan a variety of interesting opportunities, some of which help children to use the knowledge that they have previously acquired.

For example, children enjoy making large pictures using a range of natural resources. They work together using branches to represent a tree. They talk about previous experiences of finding apples growing on a tree.

Children make decisions about the resources that they could use to best represent apples. Staff support children to extend their growing vocabularies and communication skills. They introduce new words as children play.

That said, some of the quieter activities are, sometimes, interpreted by the exuberant play of other children.Staff work closely with families and other professionals to ensure children who need extra help have timely interventions to support their learning. They implement individual play plans and carefully assess children's progress towards their current targets.

Staff share ideas that help parents to support their child's learning further at home.Staff build good relationships with parents and communicate effectively about children's learning and development. Parents say staff are lovely and how supportive they have been, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parents also comment that since their child started, their behaviour has improved as well as their eating habits, confidence and attention.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager ensures staff have a good understanding of the setting's safeguarding policy and they keep their training up to date.

Staff recognise signs and symptoms that would cause them to be concerned for a child's welfare. They know how to report any concerns they may have about any children or the adults they encounter. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children.

Staff use risk assessments to help minimise potential hazards in the environment. They maintain the correct adult-to-child ratios to keep children safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to consistently help children to understand why some behaviours are not wanted and to develop the skills to resolve their own conflicts successfully support new and less-experienced staff to make more precise links between the intent and delivery of the learning opportunities provided to enable them to shape more precisely the support they offer during children's free play review the organisation of quieter activities so that children have opportunities to get the most from the learning experience.

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