Angels At Play Day 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 the friendly and professional staff. Children show that they are happy, safe and settled in this welcoming nursery.

They develop close bonds with the caring and nurturing staff. For instance, babies who are new to the nursery enjoy cuddles with staff, which helps babies to settle. Children are confident and curious.

They are extremely eager to explore the rich range of resources in their base room. Children are supported well to feel a sense of belonging. In the Kindergarten room, they are excited to see themselves in photographs displayed on the wall.

Children enjoy ...activities that are well suited to their age and stage of development, helping them to build on existing skills. Older children use toy fruit to support their understanding of how to solve mathematical problems, such as subtraction. Young children skilfully scoop seeds into bowls on a weighing scale.

They compare which bowl is heavier and which is lighter. Children spend time working out which bowl they need to add more seeds, in order to make the scales balance. Babies enjoy the calm environment of the sensory room and are keen to explore.

They discover how to make different sounds on toy kitchen equipment as they bang a spoon. Toddlers show fascination as they see an adult behind them in a reflective surface.

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

Staff place a strong emphasis on supporting and developing children's language.

In the baby room, they repeat and pronounce words correctly. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as 'petal' and 'sprinkle' as babies explore real flowers. Staff provide commentary as children play.

Older children use a range of language to share their knowledge of how fruits and vegetables grow. For example, they describe the size of a very large avocado stone as 'ginormous.' Staff are positive role models to children.

They manage any minor disagreements calmly and praise children's achievements. This has a positive impact on children, helping them to develop a very good understanding of staff expectations. Children use good manners and show respect for each other.

Older children regulate their own behaviour; they play harmoniously together, listening to each other's ideas. For example, they work out the best way to balance different-shaped wooden building blocks on top of each other to create complex structures.Children who speak English as an additional language are very well supported.

Staff ensure they use their home language, as well as English, during play. This also helps other children to develop an understanding of the wider world. Staff work in partnership with parents and external agencies to effectively support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Staff use of the information they obtain from parents when children begin attending to decide what children need to learn next. They keep parents consistently informed of their children's good progress, using a range of communication methods. Parents appreciate the ideas staff share to help support their children's learning at home.

They comment how staff give their children 'the tools to learn, thrive and grow in the nursery'. The manager provides parents with guidance about how to keep their children safe while using the internet at home.The enthusiastic manager completes regular supervision meetings with staff to reflect on their practice and well-being.

She identifies areas for improvement and provides training opportunities. However, while the manager closely monitors staff practice, some staff training is not yet fully embedded to consistently promote children's best possible development.Staff provide children with clear messages about the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

The outdoor areas provide children with very good opportunities to build on their physical skills. Staff challenge children to throw beanbags long distances and develop good control of a football. Children are learning to assess risks under the close supervision of staff.

They confidently balance on the top of a hill and climb the steps to the playhouse. However, staff do not consistently ensure that children are provided with a wide range of learning opportunities outdoors. This does not fully support those children who prefer to play outside.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff complete safeguarding training. The manager provides a range of opportunities to ensure their knowledge remains up to date.

Staff know and understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They have a clear awareness of the indicators of abuse and demonstrate a good understanding of how to keep children safe. This includes any signs that a child may be at risk of exposure to extreme views or practices.

Staff know what to do if they have any concerns about a child or the conduct of another member of staff. The manager follows robust recruitment processes to ensure that only suitable individuals are able to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen ways to monitor staff's professional development to ensure training is fully understood and used to enhance the quality of learning experiences for all children nextend the range of learning opportunities in the outside area, to support those children who prefer to learn outside.