Caterham The Laurels Day Nursery and Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Staff provide an ambitious curriculum with a focus on nurturing children and developing their skills for learning.

There is a language-rich environment throughout the nursery. All staff use highly effective strategies to help children develop good speech and language skills. For example, staff consistently repeat key words to help young children increase their range of vocabulary.

Older children thoroughly enjoy engaging in meaningful conversations with staff, who skilfully listen to what children have to say and give them time to reply to questions. As a result, children are developing excellent communication a...nd language skills. Staff value the importance of children securing good physical skills and provide opportunities for all children to gain competent motor skills.

For instance, young babies cruise and climb on equipment to help develop their balance and coordination skills for walking. Older children use a range of tools and equipment to help develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. For example, children use scoops and spoons to fill pots and vessels with sand.

This helps to develop children's pincer grip and hand muscles in preparation for early writing. Children's behaviour is exceptional. They are kind and show care and concern for their friends.

For example, children play cooperatively and spontaneously share their toys. Staff teach children to be polite and gently remind them to say 'please' and 'thank you'. Children are highly independent and learn to take care of their personal needs.

For instance, children confidently go to the toilet and wash their hands. They take responsibility for tasks and help to open doors and carry their belongings to the garden. This helps children to prepare for school and develop their independence skills.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive excellent support to ensure they make good progress in all areas of their development.

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

The management team is passionate about the setting and is highly effective at supporting staff to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff supervisions and training opportunities ensure all staff engage in effective professional development.

As a result, the staff team is strong and staff work well together to deliver an exciting curriculum to support children's learning and development.Children's well-being is highly valued and supported extremely well. Staff respectfully meet young children's needs and ask permission to change their nappy.

Additional funding is used very effectively to develop the learning environment and create welcoming, homely spaces with cosy corners and furnishings to help children feel comfortable and secure. As a result, children settle well and are very happy and content.Children benefit from having nutritious meals cooked on site.

There are robust procedures in place to ensure all children's dietary needs are met and that allergies and intolerances are accommodated. For example, name cards and a traffic light system ensure all children eat the correct food to keep them safe.Children's home languages are celebrated.

For example, staff create an interactive display with a map of the world and buttons for children to press. Each button has a welcome message recorded in the languages spoken by staff and children in the nursery. This helps to provide children with a sense of belonging and values their cultural background and home language.

Children thoroughly enjoy learning about nature and the world around them. They help staff to look after the nursery pets and gather plants from the garden to feed the African snails and Coco the hamster. This gives children a sense of responsibility and teaches them how to care for living things.

Young children relish exploring sensory resources to develop their curiosity and stimulate their senses. For example, children use tools to dig soil and search for bugs. They excitedly smell flowers and examine the petals.

Staff play alongside them and introduce new key words and mathematical language, such as 'big' and 'small'. Children are highly engaged and focused. They enthusiastically respond to and interact with staff, who use hand gestures and expressions to capture children's attention.

These rich experiences provide excellent opportunities for children to develop their communication and concentration skills.Throughout the setting, children enjoy listening to stories with staff and explore books independently. Staff provide cosy corners and comfortable spaces for children to relax and enjoy looking at books in.

To encourage bedtime reading, staff provide a lending library so children can take books home to read with their parents. This ensures children have access to books and helps them foster a love of reading. Staff also provide a variety of interesting activity packs with exciting resources and guidance for families to use at home, which supports home learning extremely well.

Staff teach children about helping other people. They support community projects by organising collections to donate items to a local food bank and refuge. Staff use these opportunities to teach children about sharing and being kind to others.

This helps children to develop a sense of the community in which they live and to learn about the lives of others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.