Beach Hill Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are very happy in this caring nursery. Parents like the family feel. Babies and children develop a very strong bond with their key person.

For example, babies crawl after their key person when they move away to wash their hands. Staff know children well. They carry out a detailed handover with parents when children arrive.

For instance, staff know when babies have had an unsettled night and put plans in place to support them. Children are safe in the nursery. Staff use lockable gates throughout the nursery to prevent children accessing areas unattended.

Children learn how to use a range of tools, such... as knives and scissors, safely and with control.Staff have high expectations for children's learning. They know what they want children to learn and set up the play environment to support this further.

Children enjoy looking at books, inside and outside, which helps to expand their vocabularies. Two-year-old children practise using cutlery, such as knives, to develop their independence skills. Children behave well.

Staff teach older children skills such as lining up, as they wait to wash their hands. Younger children respond well when staff sing a waiting song.

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

The manager and staff evaluate the nursery effectively and obtain support and advice from other professionals.

An example of this is working with professionals to improve the curriculum for communication and language. They have clear improvement plans in place. Recent improvements to the outside area have strengthened children's engagement and concentration.

Staff help children to learn good hygiene practices, such as handwashing. Staff in the baby room are good role models. They demonstrate the importance of washing their hands before snack.

Older children learn the importance of washing their hands before mealtimes and after blowing their nose.Staff have thought clearly about how children develop their independence skills. From an early age, children learn to pour their own drinks.

Two-year-old children begin to serve themselves their meals and use cutlery with increasing control. By the time children reach the pre-school room, they serve themselves competently and learn to cut up their food.Staff have not yet thought about the order in which children develop some skills, such as early writing.

For example, two-year-old children enjoy large-scale drawing and chalk boards, which supports the development of their muscles effectively. However, babies and toddlers sometimes use smaller chalk boards and white boards. This does not always give them the same opportunities to develop their muscle skills.

Children concentrate well. Three-year-old children concentrate well as they play in the sand. Two-year-old children listen intently to stories that staff read to them.

They talk about the illustrations and join in with repeated words and refrains. Children thoroughly enjoy doing the sound effects for words, such as 'screaming', that they hear in the book.Children make good progress in their communication.

Staff are good role models. They use a range of techniques to develop children's communication. For example, staff are skilled at commenting on what children are doing.

They seize opportunities to expand children's vocabulary. Staff introduce words, such as 'garlic' and 'stinging', as they play alongside children. This helps children to become confident communicators.

The manager supports staff to develop their skills and knowledge. For example, she gives staff feedback on how they can improve their practice. Staff attend a range of training.

However, sometimes the manager does not monitor this effectively enough to ensure that staff have attended training or that messages from training are understood and implemented.Staff have a good relationship with parents, overall. Parents really appreciate the detailed handover at the end of the day.

Staff invite them to regular reviews to talk about their children's progress. Parents feel this helps them understand what their children are learning and how they can help them at home. However, some parents are unable to attend the meeting.

Occasionally, these parents have less understanding of how they can help their child.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a good awareness of how they can keep children safe.

The nursery is secure, which prevents people entering or leaving the premises unattended. There are good systems in place to ensure that children only leave the premises with authorised adults. The manager uses a range of strategies, such as challenges, to ensure that staff have a good understanding of child protection.

Staff talk confidently about the range of signs and symptoms that may suggest a child is suffering from abuse or exploitation. They are aware of the local procedures to follow if they have a concern.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: give more thought to the order in which children develop skills, such as early writing monitor the effectiveness of training on developing staff's knowledge and skills nenhance ways of sharing more detailed information about children's learning with all parents.

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