Bentley Manor Childcare Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children's well-being is a priority.

At the start of the day, children arrive happy and their parents and/or carers have time to settle their children and share information with individual staff. Children form close relationships with staff and make friends, which helps them to feel safe and secure in this warm, nurturing environment. Babies are emotionally secure in the care of staff who provide them with individual time and attention, according to their different needs.

They confidently move around their play space and enjoy sensory exploration with a variety of textures and play materials. Children thrive in this nu...rsery. They enjoy the extensive range of outdoor play including daily forest school.

Behaviour is good, for example, children learn to think about the feelings of others from an early age. They take turns, share, and follow simple rules that keep them safe, but the rules also allow them to take some manageable risks in their own play, such as climbing in the natural environment. Children are becoming independent in their own personal care.

Staff encourage children to 'have-a-go', as they pour their own drinks and serve their own food at lunch times. The wide curriculum, which takes account of children's interests, helps them to secure the skills they will need in preparation for their next stage of learning.

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

The management team and staff have a good understanding of the curriculum and what to teach children next in preparation for their next stage of learning.

Well-planned transition arrangements between rooms means that children are well supported and settle quickly into new routines that keep their progress on track. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive strong support.An experienced management team provide an ongoing programme of professional development that supports staff to provide high-quality care and learning.

A strong focus is placed on regular supervisions, training and team meetings. This effectively helps staff to build on the skills that they hold and drives them to continue to improve the quality of the childcare.Staff are alert to babies' wants and needs as they communicate through body language and the sounds of their voices.

Babies' emerging speaking skills are supported effectively, for example, during times when they sit together for a singing session. They happily join in with actions to favourite songs and 'bop' to the tunes. Staff sing clearly and at a pace that gives the babies chance to join in with some sounds.

Young children engage well at group times. Skilled staff provide good teaching while introducing puppets to help children understand and interact during stories. Staff use signing to support children's communication skills while the children practise sounds and words.

Children excitedly choose an animal and attempt to make the animal sound. They are enthralled by the repeated words in the story. Some of the older children are beginning to recognise some numerals in songs and rhymes.

Learning while outdoors is given a high priority by all staff. Young children laugh as they jump and splash in deep puddles. Staff read stories while outdoors and link activities to the stories.

Pre-school children explore in the forest school area to find sticks to create stick men after listening to one of their favourite stories.Children make good progress in their mathematical and literacy development. Pre-school children write their names on their paintings.

In discussions with staff, they identify the number of sides when naming different shapes and they solve simple mathematical problems.Friendships have formed among pre-school children and they confidently make decisions about what to play with. They engage in imaginative role play, concentrate well when creating models, choose to draw and write, and complete jigsaw puzzles.

However, there are times when staff involve themselves in children's chosen activities which has an impact on children leading their own learning.Staff offer suitable support so that young children learn to manage tasks for themselves, such as putting on coats and shoes. The extensive outdoor environment is used effectively to support all children's learning on a daily basis.

However, in preparation for playing outside on a cold and wet day, it takes young children a very long time to manage all-in-one suits, as well as hats and boots. This, and then the time spent eating their morning snack outside, has an impact on the time that these children are able to engage in the learning they enjoy outdoors.Parents and carers say that they are very pleased with their children's progress at the nursery.

Daily updates and information through the online system keep them well informed and they comment on the high levels of communication, which they find reassuring.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good understanding of their role and responsibilities to keep children safe.

They are familiar with the signs and symptoms that may indicate that a child may be more vulnerable to abuse. They receive regular training and know the organisational and local agency reporting procedures in the event of any concerns. The premises are secure and staff are vigilant in monitoring visitors to the premises.

Effective risk assessments, indoors and outdoors, are used to minimise risks to children and keep them safe. Recruitment and selection procedures are robust.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff in identifying that there are times when their intervention gets in the way of older children's independent learning consider reviewing the routine prior to and at the beginning of young children's outdoor experience to maximise the time they spend in the high-quality outdoor learning environment.