Bright Horizons Muswell Hill Day Nursery and Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children benefit from an effective key-person system and this helps them to settle well.

Children have warm bonds with staff. They show that they feel very happy, safe and emotionally secure. Babies enjoy cuddles with staff.

Routines, such as nappy changing, are conducted in a sensitive manner. The key-person system is well embedded and ensures that babies have consistent staff caring for them.Children's behaviour is very good.

Toddlers and older children are confident, make friends easily and show a positive attitude to their learning. Children have a clear understanding of staff's expectations for behaviour.... Older children are very keen to show their awareness of the nursery rules.

For instance, they listen to staff when they are reminded to use their manners. Younger children hug their friends regularly. They pick up fallen toys and hand them gently back to babies.

Children are gaining knowledge across all seven areas of learning. They benefit from the provider's curriculum, which builds on their interests and their understanding of the wider world. Children enjoy activities that help to broaden their skills, in readiness for their next stages of learning.

Children show a positive attitude and a willingness to take part in activities.

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

Staff are consistently gentle and kind role models to children. They follow consistent daily routines to help babies and children feel safe and support them well to understand and express their emotions.

Staff praise children regularly for their good behaviour. This helps to boost children's self-esteem and confidence.Throughout the nursery, staff support children's communication and language development well.

They introduce new language to babies and older children. Babies babble away happily as they play, and staff acknowledge their attempts to communicate through speech. Babies enjoy listening to staff singing nursery rhymes.

They clap, smile and laugh as they move their bodies to the rhythm of the large drum being played. Older children are very confident talkers who communicate clearly.Children's level of engagement in activities is good.

This is because staff know the children very well and use this knowledge to inform their teaching and interactions with them. This helps to keep younger children motivated and curious about their play. However, at times, staff prompt children too quickly, providing answers to questions, and miss opportunities to challenge and extend children's learning and thinking skills further.

Staff promote children's personal development well. Children are confident and happy. They understand hygiene routines, such as effective handwashing.

Babies and toddlers sleep according to their needs and wake refreshed and happy to resume their play. Staff take babies out on daily walks around the local area, parks and woodlands, which gives them fresh air and different experiences. Additionally, older children also have use of an highly stimulating indoor garden.

For instance, they play skittles, climb large apparatus, hide in large tepees and have wonderful opportunities to read in quiet book corners.Staff use opportunities as children play to enhance their understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, pre-school children become absorbed filling various containers with water using large plastic syringes.

They learn about the concepts of empty and full. Staff use mathematical language such as 'bigger', 'smaller', 'heavier' and 'lighter'. This supports children's mathematical learning well.

The manager has a strong vision for the nursery and continually reflects on the provision to identify areas for development. She observes staff's practice and identifies ways in which it can be strengthened. Staff meet with the manager to discuss their work and training needs.

Overall, staff benefit from a good induction process. However, some new and temporary staff are less sure of the overarching curriculum intent. This means that their planning and delivery of activities are not yet precise or implemented consistently.

Parents are positive about the care their children receive. They comment that children are always happy and learn very well. Staff work hard to communicate with parents and share the children's experiences at nursery in diverse ways.

For example, photos to show learning at the nursery are sent through the online learning journey.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have an good understanding of child protection issues.

They are familiar with the procedure to take prompt and efficient action should they have any concerns about children's welfare. Staff are confident with the whistle-blowing policy and procedures for reporting allegations. Robust recruitment procedures help to ensure that all staff are suitable.

Staff are vigilant in their supervision of children. Continual risk assessments of the play areas, inside and for regular trips, promote children's safety.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on staff's understanding of how to support children to further their thinking, ideas and problem-solving and to keep trying, rather than being directed strengthen induction procedures to provide more detailed information for new or temporary staff so that they can implement the curriculum intent effectively and the focus for individual children consistently.