Applegarth Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children have strong attachments to their key person. Babies and toddlers receive lots of cuddles and reassurance when they arrive at the setting and throughout the day. Staff sit at the same level as the children, playing alongside them.

They respond to gestures and the babbles of babies and provide a narrative as toddlers play. Staff encourage toddlers to use single words and name familiar objects. Photos of the children and their families are displayed throughout the nursery.

Staff talk to the children about the photos and use them to support children's understanding of their individuality and differences. Toddlers ...spend extended periods of time cuddling with the staff, while looking at the photos of their friends.Children benefit from daily opportunities to play and exercise in the fresh air.

Pre-school children practice their physical skills as they carefully balance to walk along wooden beams and a chain linked plank bridged. Staff closely supervise children as they climb on large, fixed play equipment. They remind the children of the one-way system for traffic as the children use their coordination skills to steer wheeled toys around an obstacle in the garden.

Staff gently remind children of their expectations for behaviour. Encouraging them to be kind to their friends and think about the impact that their behaviour has on others.

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

Since the last inspection the management team have accessed support from the local authority to address the weaknesses identified.

They regularly seek feedback from staff, parents and children to help inform plans for improvement. They have recently encouraged parents back into the setting to drop off and collect their child from the rooms that they are cared for in. Parents have welcomed this change.

Staff comment that they really enjoy working at the nursery and feel valued and appreciated within their role.The management team and staff have worked together to design a curriculum which is focused on supporting children to develop the skills that they will need for their eventual move to school. Staff know the children they work with very well and regularly observe them to make sure that they are making progress in their learning and development.

However, staff do not consistently plan next steps for individual children's development, which support them to build on the skills and knowledge that they have already acquired.The management team and staff are committed to working with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They put plans in place to help children to reach their full potential.

They use additional funding to provide targeted intervention. Staff use sign language, alongside verbal communication, to encourage children to develop their spoken language and their communication skills.Staff promote children's love of books and stories.

Pre-school children listen to stories being read about a favourite character 'Supertato'. Staff encourage them to talk about what they can see in the illustrations and to recall the events in the story. Children use their imaginations as they act out the well-loved fairy-tale 'Goldilocks and the three bears'.

They confidently recall the events in the story and use the repeated refrains as they retell the story.Staff support children to develop their independence. Toddlers are supported to pour their own drinks and serve their own food at mealtimes.

Any spills are quickly and swiftly cleaned up to prevent any accidents. Children follow some hygiene routines. They wash their hands before eating and after messy play.

However, staff do not consistently support children to use good hygiene practices such as washing their hands after wiping their nose. Staff do not talk to children about why washing their hands is important.Parents value the information that staff share with them about their child's day and about the progress they are making in their development.

They comment on the progress that their children have made, which they attribute to the time that their children spend at the nursery. Parents say that their child has come on in leaps in bounds with their communication, language and social skills. They comment that their children are developing their manners, that they say please and thank you without being prompted to do so.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The management team understand their role and responsibility to safeguard children. They have created an environment where staff are watchful and vigilant of any safeguarding concerns.

Managers ensure that staff have up-to-date training on the procedures to follow should they feel at child is at risk of harm. This includes information about how to report concerns about the conduct or suitability of another member of staff. Staff check the premises and toys daily to ensure that they are safe.

They regularly practice emergency evacuations so that children know what to do in the event of a fire. Staff follow safer sleeping guidance and sleeping children are checked regularly.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to make better use of information they gain from assessments to plan children's individual next steps, building on what children already know and can do develop a consistent approach to teaching children about the importance of good hygiene practices.