Bright Horizons Leeds Day Nursery And Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are offered an inspiring and exciting range of activities. Staff promptly capture their interests and are highly successful in helping them to develop a positive attitude to learning.

Young children build coordination, language and mathematical skills by stirring giant bowls of cereal and feeding their soft toys. Children create imaginative physical activities. For example, they delight in 'hopping like a tyrannosaurus' as they leap from tyre to tyre in an animal obstacle race.

Staff promptly identify gaps in children's learning and skilfully plan experiences that ensure they achieve their full potentia...l. Consequently, children are extremely well prepared for their later education, including starting school. Children behave exceptionally well.

They are polite, attentive and take pride in looking after each other. Staff are highly successful in helping children who find it difficult to manage their emotions to control their behaviour. Staff help children develop a very strong sense of safety and security in all aspects of their nursery experiences.

For example, children discuss the best ways to play safely when they develop their outdoor games. Children's independence and initiative are strongly promoted through all areas of their learning. Staff establish very strong bonds with children and their families.

Parents thoroughly recommend the nursery. Parents typically comment that 'staff genuinely care and take their jobs very seriously'.

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

The experienced and very well-qualified manager provides exceptionally direct and purposeful leadership.

She is well supported by senior staff. Many staff worked together in the nursery before the change of ownership. Staff are very effectively deployed, with clear roles and responsibilities.

This ensures everyone contributes to the richness of children's learning experiences. Staff are given the time and support to complete their work to a high standard. As a result, staff morale is very high, and they are ambitious for the success of all children in their care.

There are rigorous procedures to monitor and evaluate the quality of the nursery provision. The manager makes sure staff take full advantage of training opportunities to sustain high standards of teaching and learning. This training supports development of stimulating resources, vibrant activities and assessment and reporting procedures.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff are very positive role models. They are constantly cheerful, gentle and courteous towards all children.

Children respond in kind and are confident, polite and curious. Staff work closely with other professionals to ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, develop positive attitudes for their future learning.Children's communication and speaking skills are richly developed.

Staff help babies to express their feelings and preferences. For instance, they consistently smile, look the babies in the eye and talk gently and clearly. Staff repeat the sounds babies utter and develop them into words and phrases.

They take every opportunity to model and enhance children's vocabulary. For example, children talk about 'displacement' and 'capacity' when they solve floating and sinking problems.The staff pursue every opportunity to develop a lifelong love of books in children.

Children have full access to carefully selected books inside and outside. Staff read with motivating clarity and expression. The book club for pre-school children helps to develop their observation, critical skills and enjoyment.

Parents share children's reading experiences through the nursery's lending library.Staff maximise opportunities to promote children's mathematical development and they make learning thoroughly enjoyable. For example, children learn to count at every opportunity.

They count the limbs on their play dough and pipe cleaner snowmen or their steps as they hop outdoors. Older children measure the water as they test whether it rises in a bucket when they put more objects in. They mentally calculate that 17 is two more than 15.

Children are highly motivated to develop their imagination and creative skills. For example, they love telling each other stories based on pictures of traditional fairytale characters on wooden spoons. They create highly imaginative paintings and collage pictures in the style of Picasso and other artists.

Children enjoy nutritious and healthy meals and snacks. They develop excellent levels of independence, for instance, when they register at the start of the day using their developing writing skills. Older children confidently see to their own self-care and toileting needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Children's safety is a priority. It is deeply embedded into daily practice.

Staff keep their knowledge up to date through frequent quizzes and regular training. Staff have an excellent knowledge of safeguarding procedures. They know what to do should they be worried about the welfare or safety of a child.

They can identify the signs and symptoms that may indicate that children are at risk of harm. Staff are extremely vigilant and through rigorous risk assessments ensure the environment is safe and secure. Children help to keep themselves free from harm when they conduct their own checks with 'Candyfloss', the safeguarding mascot.