The Southville Centre Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The quality of children's experiences varies across the nursery. Staff working with younger children are calm and nurturing and provide opportunities that motivate children to learn. For example, children actively use signing for the days of the week during group activities.

However, staff working with children who attend term time only do not deploy themselves well enough to meet children's individual care and learning needs. Children do not always benefit from interactions with staff that support their learning due to the lack of organisation and structure in this area. Transitions from one activity to another are not managed we...ll and noise levels are high.

Behaviour is generally good and managed well by staff. However, at times, staff working with children who attend term time only do not supervise them well enough. As a result, they do not always notice minor disagreements between children who sometimes struggle to manage conflict for themselves.

Staff generally support children's language development well. For example, they introduce new words and repeat children's speech to help them learn to pronounce words correctly. However, staff working with children who attend term time only do not deliver the curriculum effectively.

As a result, children's learning in this area of the nursery is mostly incidental. This means some children may not make the progress of which they are capable.

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

The term-time-only area of the nursery has experienced many staffing changes during recent months.

Staff do not currently work together as a team or deploy themselves well enough to meet children's individual needs. The manager is aware that changes need to be made to improve the learning for children who attend term time only. However, the implementation of these changes is in the early stages.

This means that some children do not receive good-quality care and education.The manager has a clear understanding of what she wants children to learn. However, staff do not deliver this consistently across the nursery.

All children have a variety of opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, they balance on blocks, ride bicycles and negotiate space as they run around in the garden. Despite this, children who attend term time only do not benefit from good-quality teaching across the curriculum to help them to build on what they already know and can do.

Leaders and managers work closely with the local community to support families. For example, they help parents with their children's school applications and signpost them to other services when needed, such as food banks. However, some parents of children who attend term time only say that their children have been less settled at the nursery in recent months.

Children learn to complete small tasks for themselves to build their independence. For example, pre-school children prepare their own fruit to eat at snack time. Children who attend term time only do not have the same opportunities to develop their independence due to the lack of organisation in this area.

For example, some children do not put away their own drinks and lunch boxes, because the routines are not clearly established.All children enjoy plenty of fresh air and exercise to help keep them fit and healthy. They learn to take small risks in their play to build their confidence.

For example, they climb low-level branches on trees in the outdoor area.Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their fine motor skills to help them to build their muscles in preparation for early writing. For example, younger children explore sand with tools, and make marks with paintbrushes and water.

Children enjoy sensory play with mud in the garden, which promotes their creativity and imagination.Children learn to count and recognise numbers from an early age. For example, staff working with younger children encourage them to count the number of children and staff present.

Staff working with older children in the all-year-round provision encourage them to recognise shapes in the environment.Children enjoy listening to stories and songs to develop their literacy skills. Younger children beam with delight as they join in with the words and actions at song time.

Older children turn the pages in books one by one and retell stories as they look at the pictures.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff are aware of the signs and symptoms that might indicate that a child is at risk of abuse.

They know who to contact if they have a concern about a child. The manager, who is also the designated lead, works effectively with external agencies to help keep children safe. A robust system is in place for managing accidents.

Safer recruitment processes are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff work closely with parents of children with allergies and health conditions to help ensure that their needs are met.

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 staffing arrangements and organisation of the provision for children who attend term time only to ensure that their individual care and learning needs are met at all times 07/07/2023 ensure that the curriculum is implemented effectively across the nursery to ensure that all children make the progress of which they are capable.

07/07/2023