Shepperton Organic Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Staff form close relationships with children. They work well with parents to help children settle, feel happy, safe and to meet their individual emotional needs. Babies enjoy sitting close to staff and having a cuddle.

Older children confidently express their affection for staff. However, staff do not always receive the support they need to help them understand how to implement all aspects of the curriculum. There are occasions when staff do not provide a wide range of activities that engage children in purposeful play.

Consequently, children do not make the best possible progress in their development.Staff have clear exp...ectations for children to cooperate and behave well. They support the children as they learn to share the resources and take turns during their play.

The manager and staff offer parents behaviour management guidance to provide continuity for children between the nursery and home. For example, they support parents to help children understand and manage their feelings and emotions.Staff are observant of the choices that children make during their play and respond to their individual interests to support their learning.

When children show interest in learning about number, they teach them to match the correct number of conkers to numbers on pictures of leaves.

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

The manager has clear intentions to provide children with an ambitious curriculum. However, senior managers do not work with the nursery manager to review and monitor that the curriculum learning intentions are met.

Consequently, the quality of teaching practice across the nursery continues to be inconsistent and children are not always challenged in their learning and development.Despite some weaknesses in the curriculum, staff develop children's communication and language skills well. They successfully capture children's interest during singing activities and teach them songs and rhymes that develop their vocabulary.

Children enjoy playing musical instruments as they sing along using words they have previously learned. They thoroughly enjoy looking at books independently and with staff.The special educational needs coordinator has a good knowledge and understanding of her role and responsibilities.

She seeks early intervention for children who are behind in their development in a timely way. Staff work well in partnership with other agencies who visit the nursery to provide continuity and reduce gaps in children's development.Although there are occasions when the range of activities and resources is limited, children are motivated to learn.

Staff support them well to develop physical skills. For instance, children concentrate for long periods of time as they transfer sand into different containers while using a play cooker. Staff encourage children to have a go as they help them learn to balance on raised blocks in the outdoor play area.

Children behave well and staff are positive role models. They communicate respectfully with children and develop their confidence to form friendships with other children. Older children thoroughly enjoy talking together during all activities.

The manager and staff work well in partnership with parents to provide children with continuity of care. For instance, they send parents newsletters that include ideas about how they can support children's learning at home. Recently, this has included pictures of things related to autumn for children and parents to find and talk about, to further develop children's vocabulary.

Staff support all children's understanding of differences in society well. For example, for Down's Syndrome Awareness Week, children took part in a sponsored fundraising event and developed their awareness of other children's needs.Overall, children gain the skills they need for starting school.

Staff support children to develop independence. Younger children learn to put on and take off their coats and older children clear away their plates and cutlery after they have finished eating at mealtimes.Staff have improved how they support children to learn about technology.

For example, when children ask them which animals can swim, they help them search for this information on a tablet and whiteboard.The manager supports staff to gain childcare qualifications. Unqualified staff have just started training to gain a childcare qualification, to support their continuous professional development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager, who is the safeguarding lead, has a good knowledge and understanding of her safeguarding roles and responsibilities. She follows safeguarding policies and procedures, and responds appropriately if there are any child protection concerns.

All staff complete safeguarding training. They understand the signs of abuse and how to make referrals if they are concerned about a child's welfare or safety. Staff work well as a team to ensure that children are well supervised at all times.

Since the last inspection, the manager and staff have improved risk assessment. Staff now stay close to the children to keep them safe when they use the stairs to access playrooms located on the first floor of the premises.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date improve the arrangements to support staff to understand and implement the curriculum and to consistently offer good-quality learning and development experiences for all children 14/12/2023 improve the monitoring of the implementation of the curriculum to ensure that all children are sufficiently challenged and make the best possible progress in their development.

14/12/2023