Ashleigh Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy the time they spend in this warm, welcoming and vibrant nursery. Staff provide children with an extensive range of stimulating activities that promote their interests and cover all areas of learning.

Children independently select what they would like to play with from resources that have been carefully considered to promote exploration and investigation. For example, children pretend to cook with fresh vegetables in the home corner. They develop their hand-to-eye coordination as they cut up carrots and parsnips to use in their imaginative play.

They use real-life tins and baking trays and talk... about the 'dinner' that they are making for their friends.Children are happy, content and enthused. They develop positive attitudes to their learning and respond exceptionally well to the high expectations of staff.

Children demonstrate confidence in trying new activities and are highly motivated to learn. For example, older children enjoy learning about how water changes. They skilfully pour water into ice-lolly moulds and excitedly discuss how the water will turn to ice when placed in the freezer.

Babies and toddlers enjoy sharing books and rhymes with staff. They snuggle in for their favourite stories and enthusiastically copy the actions to familiar songs as they giggle and clap their hands in delight.

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

Children quickly develop close attachments with the kind and caring staff team.

The key-person system is very effective and staff continually help children to feel safe and emotionally secure. During flexible settling-in procedures, that are tailored to the individual needs of each child, staff take time to find out detailed information. This helps children to settle with ease.

Furthermore, children are given ample opportunities to discuss how they are feeling each day and talk about their emotions.Children are beginning to learn the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle. They are provided with home-cooked, nutritious meals and snacks and frequently engage in energetic play.

They enjoy yoga and mindfulness sessions that help to calm and focus them ready for learning. However, very occasionally, staff do not fully maximise children's well-being. They do not always encourage children to wash their hands prior to eating, or model good hygiene practice after helping children to blow their nose.

Children respond positively to meaningful praise, support and encouragement. They behave extremely well as staff sensitively support and guide them on how to share, take turns and listen to others. Following a drama activity, a 'star of the day' award is given and children receive a special 'star stamp' which they proudly show off.

Children relish the roles and responsibilities they are given. They listen and respond to the instructions given by staff and are keen to help tidy away the resources they have used.Staff consistently help children to extend their language and communication skills.

Staff working with babies and toddlers repeat keywords, name objects and use descriptive language as they play alongside them. Older children are encouraged to talk about what they are doing and staff continuously ask 'how', 'what' and 'why' questions that promote children's thinking and speaking skills.Good attention is given to developing children's mathematical understanding.

As babies build towers with blocks, staff count aloud. When constructing with blocks, staff talk to pre-school children about their structures being taller and bigger. Staff encourage children to add one more block and calculate how many they have.

Partnerships with parents and other professionals are strong and effective. Children benefit from a shared approach to their care and learning needs. Staff keep parents well informed about their children's progress, which helps to extend learning at home.

Families can borrow a range of story bags and other resources to share at home, and 'wow' moments celebrate children's achievements.Staff engage in a wealth of training opportunities that help to improve their already good practice. They are reflective in their practice and continually evaluate the activities and opportunities that they provide for children.

However, the arrangements for the supervision of staff are not yet robust. Staff do not benefit from highly effective, timely and consistent methods of supervision to support their continuing professional development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good understanding of their role and responsibility in protecting children from harm. They confidently describe the possible signs and symptoms that might indicate abuse and outline the procedures they would follow should they have concerns about a child's welfare. Furthermore, they understand the action to take should they have concerns about a colleague's practice.

Staff complete daily risk assessments and carry out continual checks of the premises as children play. This helps to ensure that children are able to play in a safe and secure environment.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nensure that staff consistently implement the nursery's high expectations with regard to hygiene procedures further develop the arrangements for staff supervision so that staff receive consistent and timely support.