The Muswell Hill Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive at the setting happy and excited.

Staff warmly greet them as they enter. Children form strong bonds with staff. This helps children to feel settled and secure in this nurturing environment.

Caring and supportive staff comfort and reassure children who are new to the setting. Staff provide an interesting and varied range of activities, which promote children's natural curiosity. Younger children enjoy learning with natural materials, using all their senses.

Older children concentrate as they engage with an ongoing art project to make a sculpture after learning about an artist, Phyllida Barlow. S...taff have worked hard to build effective partnerships with parents following the COVID-19 pandemic. They have reviewed their practice and successfully made changes after the recent 'reflection', and now parents are encouraged to come inside the building.

For instance, parents appreciate the lending library, where children can choose a book to read with their parents. Furthermore, these new changes help parents to be involved in children's learning. For example, they come into the room at drop-off and pick-up times.

Children eagerly show their parents what they have been doing during the day. This has a positive impact on children's self-esteem and confidence.

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

The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a strength of the nursery.

Staff swiftly recognise any children who are at risk of falling behind in their development and seek advice from appropriate professionals. The staff team is passionate about working closely with children's parents and other professionals to ensure that strategies and support for children are in place. Staff use additional funding well to provide specific, one-to-one support that meets the needs of individual children.

As a result, children make good progress.Staff know what children can do and need to do next. They have an effective key-person system in place.

This helps staff to capture children's starting points in learning and monitor their progress. Staff manage children's transitions across the setting excellently. Children meet their new key person prior to moving up in order to get to know each other.

Children are invited to spend time in their new room before moving up. Staff are aware that some children may need extra time than others until they feel comfortable in their new room, and they accommodate this throughout children's transition periods.Children learn to be independent, develop their skills and have a positive attitude towards their learning.

This helps children to be ready for school. Children use the toilet and wash their hands before mealtimes. They independently serve themselves, pour their own drinks and scrape own plates when finished.

This also demonstrates that children can confidently follow the daily routines. However, at times, these routines are not consistent, and staff's expectations are not clear enough, especially after lunchtime. This results in some children not being clear on what they need to do next.

Leaders have a high regard for staff well-being. Staff feel well supported and can talk openly to leaders. They say that they take pride in their role and enjoy working in the nursery.

This creates a positive atmosphere for children to learn in. There is an effective system for staff supervision in place. Leaders meet with staff regularly.

They have access to a wide range of training and courses for their professional development.Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff work closely to provide consistent support to children.

Parents speak highly of the helpful staff team and the service they provide. Parents comment that they 'love this place' and that they feel supported and valued. Staff share information about children's progress and how to support their children's learning at home with parents, such as through electronic journals and daily face-to-face feedback.

Overall, staff encourage children to explore new ideas and make links in their learning. For instance, older children are curious to find out what items float and sink in water as they engage in experiments. However, on occasion, some staff's interactions lack challenge, to further extend children's critical thinking and communication and language skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff attend regular safeguarding training. They have a good understanding of the possible signs and symptoms that might indicate that a child is at risk of harm.

They have a sound knowledge of the reporting procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child. Robust recruitment procedures and regular ongoing suitability checks of staff ensure that all those working with children are suitable. The setting has policies and procedures in place to ensure that children are kept safe.

Staff record accidents and report these to parents. They make sure that effective risk assessments are completed on a regular basis to keep the premises safe and secure.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the organisation of the routine after lunchtime so that children know what they need to do next and engage with tasks nextend staff's knowledge of how to enhance their interactions with children in order to promote their critical-thinking skills.

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