Blossom Patch Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are safe and happy at the nursery. They arrive with big smiles on their faces and go into the nursery excited about the day ahead. Parents speak highly about the progress their children are making at the nursery.

They value the warmth of the staff and the regular communication about what their children have been doing each day. Staff build trusting relationships with children. Children approach them for comfort, reassurance or to enthusiastically share their ideas.

The manager is passionate about giving every child a good start in life. Overall, she has designed a clear and progressive programme of learning. S...taff carefully consider how they can plan activities that support children in achieving their next steps.

This means that children are well prepared for the next stage on their learning journey, such as school. Children behave very well. Staff clearly explain children's achievements to them.

For example, they provide specific praise and say, 'Wow, you are waiting for your turn so well.' This helps children to understand what is expected of them. Staff morale is high and the atmosphere is a positive one.

Staff work collaboratively and communicate respectfully as a team. This shows children the importance of respect and being considerate towards others.

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

Staff teach children to be independent.

Very young children collect their own coat when it is time to go in the garden. Toddlers and pre-school children put on their coats and are learning how to zip them up. Children use cutlery well to feed themselves at mealtimes.

They independently access the resources they wish to use, which helps children to build their confidence and self-esteem.Children take pride in their nursery environment. They proudly show visitors their work on the wall and every child participates very well when it is time to tidy up.

This helps children to learn to take care of the environment around them.Staff confidently explain the progress their key children make and what their next steps are. They plan successfully, overall, to help them achieve these steps.

This leads to children making good progress from their individual starting points.The manager has clear expectations for the planning and implementation of the curriculum for communication and language. Staff get down to the children's level and model language well.

In the baby room, staff make good use of repetition and comment throughout the day on what the children are doing. For example, as babies slide down the slide, staff repeat 'down, down, down'. This helps children build vocabulary.

Children develop their physical skills well. They ride bicycles, climb up the climbing frame and balance on a beam. Children have fun as they play.

They focus well on making marks, pinching and pressing play dough and manipulating small objects during various activities. This supports children to strengthen the small muscles in their hands and prepares them for learning to write.Staff work hard to teach children to be kind and empathetic towards each other.

Children care about their friends and help them whenever help is needed. For example, they get their friend a tissue or help them to build a tower if they are finding this challenging.The manager and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to make good progress.

They work well with external agencies and use the strategies recommended by them to support these children.The manager ensures that effective systems of supervision and training are in place to support staff. She encourages staff to make progress in their careers through encouraging them to participate in many different professional development opportunities.

For example, several staff have completed relevant university courses with the help of the manager. This has a positive impact on outcomes for children.Staff use some effective strategies to support children who speak English as an additional language.

However, the manager and staff have not fully considered how they can support this group of children even further to reach their full potential.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have good knowledge of what to do if they have concerns regarding a child's well-being.

They attend regular training to ensure their safeguarding knowledge is kept up to date. Important safeguarding information is clearly displayed in the setting for staff to access, if necessary. The manager attends local authority safeguarding meetings to ensure she is aware of any specific safeguarding issues in the local area.

The manager and staff support vulnerable children very well. The manager uses effective systems to recruit staff and to ensure their ongoing suitability.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: plan more effectively to support children who speak English as an additional language, to raise their achievements to a higher level.