Apple Blossom Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children settle well, are happy and have a very good level of self-esteem.

Staff talk to the children about what they wish to do. Children are confident to explore their own ideas and to work cooperatively with their friends. For example, children play together with diggers.

They compare the amount of sand they can lift, challenging themselves to find out why some can carry more. They consider things such as weight, size and colour, quickly ruling out the impact of colour. Children are imaginative and keen to investigate the natural world.

For instance, children are fascinated by a big, fat worm crawling aroun...d the garden. They watch it move across the soil, wondering where it is going. They talk to it kindly, saying hello and asking where it lives.

Staff talk to them about keeping the worm safe and being careful with living things. Children ask if he is making a house and how he can do that without any arms. Staff challenge children to think about it.

Children take some time to think, and they shout, 'I know! He can build it with his head.'Children's behaviour is very good. Staff skilfully support children to consistently and appropriately understand the rules and boundaries for their age and abilities.

Older, more self-assured children are kind to younger ones, making sure they include them in activities and routines.

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

Leaders have improved staff's knowledge and understanding of the curriculum and children's development since the previous inspection. Staff use their skills well to plan a good range of experiences that interest and engage children.

They support children effectively to build on the things they can do to help them gain new skills. For example, toddlers learn to climb a small step so they can wash and dry their hands independently. This helps to develop independence and physical skills.

Staff help children to understand, describe and manage their emotions appropriately. For instance, staff use a story about colours and emotions to help children think about their feelings and practise vocalising them to others. This helps children to consider other people's feeling and views.

Partnerships with parents are successful. Staff use various ways to engage parents and obtain information from them about children's achievements at home. All parents, including those who have children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, speak very positively about the care and learning their children receive.

Staff firmly establish the key-person arrangements. They know their key children well. Children and babies build strong bonds with all the staff, who care for them.

Key persons work closely with other professionals and adults, when needed. Staff support children's move to new rooms and their transition to school effectively.All children benefit from plenty of play time in the outdoor area.

They freely access a variety of sensory and physical activities. For instance, children climb and jump in and out of tyres. Staff ensure that children are safe and secure, and they help them to manage risks effectively.

Staff discuss the importance of eating healthily. However, occasionally, staff do not extend children's thinking during the routines, to maximise every learning opportunity.Leadership and management are good.

The supervision of staff ensures that the quality of observation, assessment and teaching is consistently evaluated, ensuring that children make good progress. The new manager has high expectations for staff and children and is ambitious for the setting. Leaders value staff's dedication and continue to support their well-being following recent changes to staff and management.

The manager recognises that children need further support in developing their mark-making skills. However, staff are not sufficiently focused on the experiences planned for younger children's development in this area. For example, they do not use mark-making resources to best effect for babies and toddlers.

At times, they are not easily available for them to choose.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff regularly update and share their safeguarding knowledge through training, online research and discussions.

Leaders question staff about their knowledge regularly to check their understanding of safeguarding issues. Staff confidently know how to identify concerns about a child's welfare. This includes any signs that a child may be at risk of exposure to extreme views or practices.

Staff monitor attendance well and follow up absences. The manager knows what to do if she has concerns about the behaviour of a member of staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: continue to improve staff's skills to help them make the most of all opportunities, including mealtimes, to extend children's learning even further support staff to provide younger children with consistent opportunities to understand what the marks they make represent and to develop their early writing skills further.