Oak Cottage Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, settled and confident. They make good progress from their starting points. Children enjoy exploring the attractive and stimulating play areas.

For example, children delight as they hunt for bugs under the foliage in the garden and tip and pour soil in the mud kitchen as they develop the concept of capacity. Children are curious learners. For instance, children open and close fresh peppers, noticing the seeds that help them to grow.

Children develop positive attitudes towards learning and a willingness to give things a go. For example, children persevere and keep trying as they work out how to remove... a toy car that had become stuck in a hole. Staff consistently use positive praise and encouragement.

Children are proud of doing well. Staff in the baby room are sensitive and kind. Babies show they feel safe and secure, which develops their confidence.

For example, babies independently choose to explore the natural sensory tray. Babies who have recently started at the nursery respond very well to the cuddles and smiles offered by staff, for example, supporting children to settle quickly. Staff are positive role models and children behave well and think of others.

Children develop good social skills as they play cooperatively. For example, children freely pass whisks to each other as they explore the effects their movements have on creating bubbles in the water. The manager organises educational visits from important people in the local community, such as police officers, the dentist and fire officers.

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

The visionary manager is keen and motivated to make positive changes. She values the feedback from staff, parents and children and swiftly acts on suggestions. For instance, recent changes to the nursery's opening times, food choices and how staff feedback to parents on children's progress directly came from parent questionnaires.

The manager meets regularly with her staff to help them reflect on their practice. She provides opportunities to attend regular training. For example, training in supporting children's sensory and physical needs has supported staff's knowledge and skills in this area.

This enables them to provide effective support to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.Overall teaching is good. Staff plan enjoyable and creative activities that support children's interests.

For instance, children thoroughly enjoy trying the new textures of barbequed fruit and vegetables. However, staff do not consistently build on what children already know and can do to help them to make even more progress in their learning.Staff interact with children as they play.

They role model language and ask relevant questions. However, staff do not consistently use skilful questions to encourage children to think for themselves, share their thoughts and develop their own ideas to the highest level.Parents speak highly of the nursery, commenting on 'the ever-changing activities' and 'wonderful environment'.

Parents form close working relationships with their children's key person and feel well informed. The manager and staff use a number of effective systems to communicate with parents. For instance, they use a text and email service to keep parents informed of what is happening at the nursery.

Staff encourage children to be independent and develop self-care skills at mealtimes. For example, children peel the skin from their own oranges, pour their own milk and open their own packets.Children are supported to develop the skills and attitudes needed for future learning.

For example, the youngest children begin to count as they play and the oldest children focus intently as they learn how to safely use scissors.The manager and staff collaboratively identify where funding can be best used to support children's individual needs. They used the early years pupil premium funding to offer more opportunities for children to develop their writing skills, for example, to further enhance their literacy skills.

The manager plans for children to have good opportunities to extend their social skills. For example, she organises trips to the local care home where children enjoy singing songs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manger places a strong emphasis on safeguarding in the setting. She keeps up to date with revised government publications, particularly in relation to the wider safeguarding agenda. The manager regularly reviews staff's knowledge of safeguarding.

The manager and the staff are aware of the signs that a child may be at risk of harm and know the local procedures to follow should they have a concern. Staff implement the nursery's policies, procedures and risk assessments to help ensure children's health, safety and well-being.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance the support for staff to strengthen their practice to enable them to offer further challenge and extend children's critical thinking skills to the highest level strengthen staff's good teaching skills to help them identify and build on what children already know and can do, to support children to make the most progress in their learning.