The Railway Children’s Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children demonstrate that they are happy and settled at this warm and welcoming nursery. They confidently leave their parents at the door and quickly settle into the nursery routine.

Children show a positive attitude to their learning. They are motivated and eager to join in activities. For example, they explore how colours change when mixed.

Children benefit from a good range of experiences, that prepare them well for their future success. They develop their confidence and social skills and learn to manage their behaviour while interacting with others. Children develop good communication skills and confidently articul...ate what they know and can do.

Children benefit from spending plenty of time in the indoor soft-play centre. Older children enjoy using the wealth of apparatus and show great physical skills as they negotiate the wide range of equipment. They climb rope ladders with confidence and slide down the long slide at speed.

This supports children's physical skills extremely well.Children are fascinated by the world around them. For instance, they watch butterflies growing and taste lemons as they make lemonade.

The nursery is wholly inclusive and children gain a strong sense of community as they celebrate Holi and Chinese New Year. Staff transform the car park into a colourful scene and children watch as lanterns are released into the dark sky. Children prepare meals for the homeless as a random act of kindness.

This helps children learn about compassion and gratitude.

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

Staff plan activities which allow children to take the lead in their own learning. As a result, children are eager to engage in activities.

They develop a secure understanding of mathematics. Children concentrate well as they sort and order numbers and call out with excitement when they are able to recognise or match them.Staff make good use of assessment to plan for individual children's needs.

They plan activities which follow the interests of the children and use an assessment programme to ensure children are well prepared for their next stage of learning, including the move on to school. However, staff do not always use effective questioning to extend children's knowledge even further. For example, on occasions, when asking questions staff do not always consider children's limited prior knowledge of what is being taught and give clear enough explanations of what they need to learn.

Staff have very high expectations for children's behaviour and they behave exceptionally well. They develop great social skills and friendships are strong.When children arrive, they are pleased to see each other, they give one another hugs and are eager to begin their play together.

Children show genuine kindness for others and share resources. For example, children break a piece of play dough in half to share with others.Children learn about people and communities because management and staff value the diversity of the local area and the children who attend.

Staff transform the reception area into a Caribbean beach theme with sand covering the floor, palm trees and reggae music is played for children to listen to. Children taste Caribbean food, such as jerk chicken and exotic fruits. This helps children to become aware of their identities and their unique selves.

Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. Those who need extra help are well supported. For instance, staff develop and implement targeted plans for them.

They recognise when children may have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and seek timely advice from outside professionals. In addition, children who speak English as an additional language are supported well. They make good progress in learning English and know their home language is respected, as staff use key words in these languages.

Parents initially provide information about what their child knows and can do when they first start. Staff and parents then continue to share information regularly, both verbally in writing. Parents are very happy with their children's progress and comment on the very good communication with staff.

However, parents report they are not consistently given ideas to help them support and extend children's learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The provider and manager are the designated leads for safeguarding in the setting and they cascade the knowledge they gain on their training with the staff team.

Staff develop their knowledge with the completion of online courses. They know the signs of abuse and neglect and the referral procedures to follow if they have a concern, including children being exposed to extremist views. Procedures for recruitment, selection and induction of staff are robust.

The premises are safe and secure, so that children cannot leave unsupervised and unwanted visitors cannot gain access, including from the play centre. Staff identify and successfully minimise potential risks indoors and outdoors by carrying out daily checks on the environment.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide parents with even more information to help them support children's learning at home strengthen the use of questioning to help identify what children already know and provide clear explanations to extend their knowledge even further.