Abbey Wood Grange Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery.

They have formed close attachments with staff, who provide caring and nurturing care. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Staff plan a curriculum which enables children to make good progress in their development.

Children are sociable and form friendships. Older children confidently tell visitors what they like doing. They enthusiastically recall previous activities, such as learning about the life cycle of a chicken.

Children develop more complex language as staff introduce new words, such as 'herbivore'. Young children enjoy sensory play. Babies e...xplore silky scarves and show fascination as they explore the floaty fabric.

Staff ensure that songs are incorporated into daily routines so that children become familiar with the rhyme and repetition. Toddlers act out singing the 'Sleeping Bunnies' song and laugh as they pretend to wake up to hop about. Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is particularly good.

Staff provide an inclusive and enabling environment. They ensure that they work closely with parents and professionals to ensure that children receive continuous support and guidance. Managers have recently introduced home visits for children with SEND to share key information and to aid smooth transitions.

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

Managers are reflective. They consistently evaluate the quality of education to consider where improvements can be made. Managers ensure that the development of children's communication and language skills is given high priority.

The newly developed library supports children's love for books and enables children to receive more targeted support in small groups.Managers recognise the importance of valuing staff's well-being. Staff say they enjoy working at the nursery and feel very supported by managers.

Professional development opportunities are regularly encouraged to help staff to develop their skills. For example, recent training on children's mental health has helped staff to build closer attachments.Overall, the curriculum is well planned to provide children with opportunities to support their good progress.

Children develop their interests, such as learning about animals and their habitats. However, staff do not always ensure that resources are readily available for children on their arrival. This means that there are delays in some younger children being engaged in meaningful play to help them to settle.

Staff provide a range of stimulating activities to encourage children's physical development. All children enjoy lots of time outdoors to support their physical skills and well-being. They confidently explore their environment, build strength and develop coordination and balance.

Children benefit from a range of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. Older children learn important self-help skills such as serving their own meal and carrying their own plate. However, the organisation of the lunchtime routines for some younger children is not consistently well planned.

Children sometimes have to wait too long for their meal to be served, resulting in them becoming agitated.Children behave well, as they are familiar with the routines and expectations. Staff support children to manage their feelings and to consider the impact of their behaviour on others.

Older children are able to work together to achieve a shared goal, and younger children learn to take turns.Children learn to take some responsibility for their own safety. Staff encourage children to use 'walking feet' indoors so that they do not hurt themselves.

Toddlers know to hold on to the hand rail while walking down stairs. Following some recent events, managers have reviewed the arrangements to ensure that children are appropriately supervised and to ensure that transition times are more safely managed.Parents are keen to share their views of the nursery.

They say their children enjoy attending and have made good progress in their development. Parents value the feedback they receive from staff through daily discussions and planned meetings. Parents like the tips staff give to support children's learning at home and the outdoor play opportunities provided.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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 resources so they can be easily accessed by younger children on arrival at the setting, to promote children's engagement in play review the organisation of the lunchtime routines for younger children to reduce their waiting times for meals.