Arbury Day Nursery - Tommies Childcare

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children do not make the best possible progress in their learning and development because the quality of teaching at the nursery is not yet good. Although staff focus on providing activities that children enjoy, such as sensory play, they miss opportunities for deeper, purposeful learning aligned with children's developmental stages and individual needs. While staff are caring, many are new to their roles and lack the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum that meets children's individual needs.

Despite this, children are happy and settled. They form secure relationships with the cari...ng staff team. Staff invite children and parents to attend settling-in sessions, which they tailor around children's individual needs.

This helps children to be ready for their move from home to the nursery when the time comes. Staff provide children with daily opportunities for fresh air and exercise. Children develop strength in their bodies as they ride on wheeled toys and climb on small apparatus.

Babies are eager to explore toys in the water tray. They develop core strength as they stand and learn to fill and empty containers with water. Staff sit alongside babies to support their play.

They introduce single words such as 'splash' to describe what they do. Staff offer babies encouragement and praise their efforts.

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

The nursery has recently experienced changes to staff, and recruitment remains a challenge.

However, newly appointed leaders are experienced and knowledgeable and are striving to deliver high-quality care and education to all children.Leaders know what the nursery does well and have identified areas for development. Action plans are in place to help drive ongoing improvements.

This includes providing staff with more training to further their knowledge and skills and refurbishing parts of the indoor and outdoor learning environments to improve experiences for children. Although leaders have begun to implement ways to improve practice at the nursery, these changes are not yet embedded and the quality of teaching requires improvement. Staff lack a secure understanding of the curriculum and do not always ensure children's learning intentions are developmentally appropriate and achievable.

This hinders the progress children make.Staff throughout the nursery provide children with clear daily routines, such as designated times for sleeping and meals. While staff are aware of these routines, they often fail to ensure they are properly prepared and organised.

At times, children sit for long periods waiting for their lunch. Babies wander around the room as they wait for staff to set up the tables and chairs. This lack of organisation during daily routines means that children miss out on meaningful learning experiences and quality interactions.

Children are assigned a key person when they first begin to attend. These key persons develop secure relationships with children and their families from the outset. They share information with parents about children's time at the nursery, such as through daily discussions and online learning records.

Children behave well because they know what staff expect from them. Staff remind them of the nursery rules throughout the day, such as not to run inside. Pre-school staff engage children in thoughtful conversations as they talk about the reasons why running inside is not safe.

Children confidently announce that they may fall and hurt themselves.Effective care and hygiene practices support children's good health. Staff model good hand washing and remind children to wash their hands at regular intervals throughout the day.

Staff gently attend to children's personal care. Children enjoy a selection of healthy snacks and meals, which are prepared by staff and outside caterers. Staff encourage children to eat their vegetables and explain that this will help them to grow big and strong.

Babies and young children sleep peacefully in comfortable surroundings. Staff regularly check on them to ensure they are safe and well.Children are developing early literacy skills.

They use technological toys to express their creativity as they draw colourful pictures. Babies develop strength in their hands as they make marks with chunky chalks. Staff sit alongside children to offer support and encouragement.

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 meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure staff receive appropriate training and professional development opportunities to improve their knowledge and skills to enable them to successfully plan and implement a sequenced and ambitious curriculum that meets the developmental needs of all children 29/11/2024 organise daily routines more effectively to ensure that they meet the individual needs of children at all times.

29/11/2024