9 Months Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children and parents are greeted warmly by staff as they arrive at the setting.

Children separate happily from parents and handover information is quickly shared between parents and staff on each child. Staff welcome children in, before supporting them to change from outdoor shoes into indoor warm slippers and start their day. Children are given time to settle.

Staff commentate on what children are doing as they move around and look at the different activities set out to play with. Parents happily share how their children have developed warm friendships with other children in the setting and how each morning they can t...alk to their children about what friends they will see and what they may do in nursery during the day.Children have easy access to the garden area, changing into boots, coats, and hats with minimum support from adults to ensure they remain warm while outside.

Children's communication and language development is well supported. Conversations flow easily between children and adults; children want to share their interests. Children are developing positive attitudes to learning.

They look up and point out what they can see and hear when outside. They watch in fascination as airplanes go overhead, directing staff to look at what they can see. They get excited when they realise another plane is coming from the sounds they hear or the flashing lights they can see in the distance.

All children have daily story and rhyme times, and the youngest children choose props to indicate what song they would like to hear. Children are supported to join in by staff, who model actions and leave breaks in favourite tunes for children to sing single words or short phrases they are familiar with.

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

Following the COVID-19 pandemic and the first national lockdown, staff give more time to supporting the children when moving into nursery.

This helps children to separate from parents and to build relationships with staff. Key workers are not allocated immediately. Staff allow the children to get to know which adult they feel most secure with prior to allocation.

This helps children to feel safe and happy at the nursery.Staff get to know the children very well; they confidently link observations to current stages of children's development. Discussions with parents include planning for children's next steps.

Transitions between rooms in the setting are individually arranged for each child, based on their stage of development.Pre-school children follow routines with minimal verbal support from staff. They listen to instructions and complete the requests made of them.

For example, on their return from a trip to the park, children took off and hung up their coats and washed their hands in preparation for tea. During the meal, they spoke about their experience when out and how they did not need to wear gloves and scarves as the sun was shining and they were hot.Very young children are supported to make choices.

For example, children are offered two bibs, two spoons and two bowls to choose which colour they would like. Children take the one they want or push away the one they do not want. Staff acknowledge children's choices by saying the child's name and confirming their decisions.

Children smile and laugh as they begin to understand what they can do.Healthy meals and snacks are provided and children's individual dietary requirements are carefully catered for. Information can be clearly seen in the kitchen and in children's rooms on what each child can eat and drink.

Older children join in discussions to develop their own awareness of what they can eat, as they understand what being vegetarian or dairy-free means.Staff work with parents and other professionals effectively to support children with emerging or diagnosed additional needs. Staff skilfully adapt the curriculum to ensure all children can participate in all activities and make good progress.

Parents share how highly they value the care their child receives. Parents return with their younger children as they feel staff get to know their child extremely well. Parents describe how their children have made progress and how staff support by assessing children's development well.

Some parents use the online application to upload information and photographs to link home and nursery very effectively, although others are less engaged in their children's learning at the nursery.The leadership team is committed to developing practice. They innovatively work with other local providers to increase staff recruitment and retention.

Staff have good opportunities for supervision and training, and frequent emotional well-being support to raise their job satisfaction.Staff in the setting speak several languages. Children who speak English as an additional language are cared for by staff who share their home languages and know how to introduce key words and phrases in English.

Children quickly make progress with their understanding and speaking of English.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff attend mandatory safeguarding training as part of their induction.

Staff are very secure in their knowledge of where to go to seek advice and to make referrals if they were concerned about a child in their care. Staff have regular discussions during planning and team meetings to share information on specific safeguarding topics, such as female genital mutilation and the signs and symptoms of abuse. This helps to refresh their knowledge and keep up to date with current information.

The building and outside area are safe and secure. Closed circuit television and electronic gates ensure only adults that need to enter are permitted on site.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support parents to share information about their child's development at home, to improve the link between home and nursery learning.