The City Nursery Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents

The provision is good • The experienced provider and manager create an ethos which values working in partnership with parents.

They successfully engage parents in their children's development and learning at home and in the nursery. Parents compliment the friendly and caring staff who take time to get to know children and families well. • The manager has high expectations of staff's care and teaching practice.

She has established effective support systems to promote staff's continuing professional development, including leadership training. Staff have a nominated key worker from the senior leadership team to provide ongoing advice and support. • Staff have thoughtfully t...ransformed the spacious city centre accommodation to offer children an exciting and stimulating learning environment across all areas of learning.

Children thoroughly enjoy the outdoor activities in the 'rooftop garden'. They grow and harvest vegetables and learn to use a range of garden tools as they freely dig in the soil. • Staff place a strong emphasis on developing children's confidence and independence.

Babies and younger children happily use face cloths to wipe their hands and faces after lunch, and older children make decisions about the appropriate clothing and footwear for water-play gardening. Children relish their roles as monitors to help keep the nursery tidy and safe. • Children take great pleasure in sharing stories and rhymes with staff and each other.

They are enthralled by staff's lively storytelling techniques and excitedly anticipate joining in with familiar actions and lines. It is not yet outstanding because: • Staff do not consistently challenge children to take their learning to the highest level, in particular during the afternoons. • Occasionally, staff do not ask questions and talk more readily to children as they explore and investigate, to further encourage their thinking skills.