Bright Horizons Royal Earlswood Day Nursery and Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at nursery and form close relationships with the staff who look after them. Following COVID-19, leaders have worked hard in helping children to settle back into nursery after the break.

Staff make sure every child feels emotionally secure. Children benefit from specialist sessions, such as yoga and mindfulness. These help them manage their emotions and be confident to separate from parents each day.

The sessions are working well and children now arrive at nursery with confidence, enthusiasm and excitement for their day.Children are happy and safe at nursery. From the youngest age, t...hey begin to learn about possible dangers and risks.

The nursery's 'Candy Floss' puppet reminds children when there are potential hazards. For example, when two-year-old children came in from the garden on a very rainy day, staff used Candy Floss to remind children the floor is wet and may be slippery.Leaders and staff have very high expectations of all children.

They work hard to understand every child's personal qualities and provide for these accordingly. Every child is valued. Children who need extra help with their learning are supported particularly well.

All children make good progress from their starting points and any gaps in their learning close quickly.

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

Overall, teaching is good. Staff make full use of the nursery environment to support children's learning.

A particularly good range of activities takes place outside, where children have opportunities to enjoy exploring nature, observe seasonal change and learn about the environment. Staff respond positively to children's interests, for example when two- and three-year-olds delight in splashing in puddles and collecting rain water in different containers.The nursery curriculum is broad and balanced and takes account of children's different styles of learning.

There is clear progression from each age group and children are prepared well before moving rooms. However, occasionally, teaching is not always matched to the principles of the curriculum. For example, sometimes, staff do things for children and stop them practising their independence skills.

They sometimes unintentionally prevent children from exploring freely or using the knowledge they already have to solve problems themselves.The leadership team is highly respected and they receive good support from head office staff. The nursery manager has only been in post for nine months, yet she already has a very incisive view of the quality of provision and she knows what needs developing further.

Detailed improvement strategies are in place but it is too early in some areas to measure the full impact, particularly around improving teaching to the highest level.Children are particularly well prepared for starting school. They develop good communication skills and staff encourage them to make their own choices.

Children are keen to ask questions and become increasingly confident in taking care of their own needs. Leaders link closely with the schools children move on to, so that Reception teachers understand each child well and are ready to support them.Staff have worked hard to promote children's literacy skills and their interest in books and stories.

Following the pandemic, leaders noted a slight dip in children's understanding of literacy, so a nursery 'lending library' was created. This has given parents and children access to a wide selection of stories and books about significant events, such as the birth of a sibling or moving home. Staff have noted children now listen with more interest at story time and talk in more detail about storylines and book characters.

Children behave well. They show care and consideration for others and staff help them to understand simple rules and boundaries. Older children confidently resolve their own minor disputes without the need for adult input.

As a result, there is a very happy, positive atmosphere throughout the nursery.Parents are fully involved in their children's learning and development. They have been welcomed back into the nursery following the pandemic.

Parents confirm they receive regular information about what their child is learning. Many parents praised the staff and described them as going 'above and beyond' in their care of the children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Children's safety and welfare is a high priority for staff. Staff follow all health and safety policies carefully to minimise risks and keep the premises safe and secure. Staff are trained well in all aspects of child protection and they are confident in the procedures they must follow if they have any concerns about a child.

Children learn about safety as part of the nursery's curriculum and through their many outdoor learning experiences. For example, when they are using tools outside, they learn how to handle and store these carefully to prevent injury to themselves or their friends.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: fully embed the current improvement measures so that teaching is consistently of the highest quality and continually reflects all elements of the nursery's curriculum.