Bright Horizons Salcombe Day Nursery and Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children throughout the nursery benefit from the warm, caring interactions of staff.

Children of all ages learn the social skills they need to prepare them for their next stages in learning and on to school. Babies and young children form close relationships with their key persons, while older children make strong friendships with their peers. Affection is readily given and received, and children cannot wait to share with staff what they have been doing at home.

Staff have high behavioural expectations of all the children. They provide positive and consistent support for babies, toddlers and older children to help them... understand how to share, take turns and to wait patiently when needed. All children progress well as they take part in experiences that they enjoy.

For example, toddlers have great fun dancing and playing with musical instruments. Staff recognise and support the learning that takes place as children develop coordination and express themselves through using shakers and banging drums. Staff also make good use of the outdoor space to focus on supporting children's knowledge of the natural world.

For instance, older children stick flowers in home-made books and make bracelets from flowers and leaves they collect. Staff help children of all ages to develop a love of books. Children listen to stories with great concentration.

Children frequently choose books to look at, alone or with a friend.

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

Staff create an environment that is rich in spoken language. Older children are confident talkers, using a broad vocabulary to share stories, ask questions and discuss what they have learned.

In addition, babies and toddlers are building single words and increasing their vocabulary as staff skilfully narrate and use effective questions to promote children's speaking and listening skills.Children show they are very happy and lead their own play. They behave well and play very well together.

For instance, pre-school children spontaneously create a doll's house. They invite their friends to join in. They paint the cardboard boxes and begin to add several features to their construction, such as windows, curtains and carpets, from the materials they find in the room.

Children problem-solve with the help of their friends.In the main, staff make use of opportunities to build on children's knowledge and link activities to their interests..

For example, when toddlers squeeze lemons, limes and oranges in water to make juice, staff name the various fruits on offer. Staff are generally aware of the intent of activities and present these appropriately. However, this is not consistent and staff do not always make the best use of activities to promote children's development to the optimum.

Children are busy in play and make choices in their play. Overall, staff provide a wide range of resources and activities to promote learning. However, sometimes the planning of resources during adult-planned activities does not support older children to achieve the tasks set.

For instance, when older children struggle to cut large oranges with blunt safety knives, they are not able to engage more fully and maximise their learning.Children develop their understanding of the natural world as they take part in first-hand experiences, such as growing plants and rearing chicks. Children sequence the events from a favourite story and recall the different fruits they remember 'the hungry caterpillar' eating.

Staff support children to gain an strong understanding of eating healthy foods and being active outdoors.Parents speak very highly of the nursery. They say how friendly and supportive the staff are.

Parents particularly remark on the detailed information they receive about their children's learning and the support and ideas they receive to help their children to also learn at home. For instance, parents use the lending library and take books home to read to their children, which supports continuous learning at home.Leaders have a strong vision for the nursery and are very clear about how to improve it.

Regular team meetings and one-to-one supervisions support staff and ensure that teaching practice is regularly reviewed. Staff undertake regular training courses to upskill their knowledge of childcare, which helps to support them to meet the needs of children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff have a secure understanding of how to protect children in their care. They are aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and how to report concerns. This includes the 'Prevent' duty.

Leaders follow effective recruitment and induction processes, including ensuring all new staff complete safeguarding training as soon as they start. This helps to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff use risk assessments indoors and outdoors.

They involve older children in checking their own environment before playing outdoors, to help them to keep children safe. Leaders place a strong focus on the attention paid to ensuring that children's medical and dietary needs are understood and catered for.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support all staff to have a clear understanding of the curriculum intent so that their teaching is consistently focused on what they want children to learn, in particular for toddlers consider the appropriateness of the resources provided for older children to engage successfully and achieve tasks.