Bright Horizons Hendon Day Nursery and Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive eager and happy to start their day. They have warm and trusting bonds with staff, who are kind and caring in their approach.

Children new to the setting receive lots of cuddles and reassurance when needed. This helps them to settle quickly and grow in confidence in their new surroundings. Children benefit from a stimulating environment where they confidently play and explore.

They are inquisitive and show a positive attitude towards learning and trying new things. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff have focused on supporting children's emotional and social skills. As a result, children are becoming con...fident and are learning to share and take turns.

They behave well and show concern for each other. Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. Therefore, children make good progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Babies build on their curiosity as they play with cornflour and paint. Toddlers plant beans and confidently tell adults what they need for their beans to grow as big as the beanstalk in the story. Older children develop their fine motor skills in readiness for writing as they make their own home-made books and learn about authors and illustrators.

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

Staff use assessment successfully to identify what children know and what they need to learn next. They show skills as they adapt their language and teaching. They know when to simplify their approach or provide challenge, depending on children's individual next steps.

Children of all ages show impressive self-care skills. Staff support babies to feed themselves at mealtimes. Toddlers wash their hands independently and feed themselves competently at mealtimes.

Older children skilfully pour their own drinks and are keen to help their friends.Staff working with younger children continuously model mathematical language. Children have lots of opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills.

For instance, older children thoroughly enjoy experimenting and using sensory materials. They become curious as they explore and observe the bubbles floating and sinking when dropping paint into water and oil mixtures, using pipettes.Communication and language development is a high priority.

Staff encourage children to develop their communication skills by talking to them, emphasising key words and describing what they are doing. However, staff do not make the most of opportunities that arise for children who speak English as an additional language to hear and use their home languages in everyday play and routines.Children enjoy being physically active.

They engage in energetic play outdoors.Children develop their climbing skills and take safe and controlled risks as they strengthen their balance and coordination. They safely navigate the space available as they operate wheeled toys with confidence.

Babies develop confidence as they negotiate walking up and down small ramps safely.Overall, staff plan good routines in the nursery to support children to understand what comes next. Children's transitions between rooms are smooth.

However, on occasions, staff do not successfully support children's transitions between activities and routines. This means that children sometimes become disengaged as they wait for the next activity or routine to begin.Partnerships with parents are strong.

Parents comment positively on the care and attention that staff give to their children. They say how their children enjoy attending and that they are proud of the progress that their children have made. Staff ensure that parents are kept well informed about their children's learning and development.

They chat with parents at arrival and collection times, share a wealth of photos and information via a dedicated app and send home books for parents to read with their children.Staff receive effective support from the passionate and dedicated manager. There is a clear team ethos which enables all staff, including those training, to have a good sense of well-being.

Staff have consistent opportunities to identify further training to enhance their professionalism.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a thorough understanding of their role and responsibility in protecting children from harm.

Leaders make sure that staff complete regular training to ensure that they can confidently recognise potential symptoms and report any concerns. Staff can describe the nursery's whistle-blowing procedures and safeguarding, issues such as the 'Prevent' duty. Robust recruitment and vetting procedures help to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

Staff deploy themselves effectively and ensure that children are well supervised. They complete continuous risk assessments of all areas 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: provide more opportunities for children to hear and use their home language during play and activities, to support their development of speech and language even further support staff to plan more effectively for children's transitions between activities and the daily routines to enable children to remain focused and engaged.