Centre Place Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

All children sing the 'welcome' song at the beginning of the day. This contributes to a feeling of familiarity and security as they progress through the nursery.

Babies wave joyfully in response. Staff use sign language as they sing, so children become aware of different forms of communication. The youngest children are beginning to learn how to take part in back-and-forth conversations.

Staff listen intently and respond to their cues. This encourages babies to feel valued and speak more. Older children listen to a popular story and join in with repetitive phrases.

This helps to build on their existing vocabul...ary and understanding. At times, children choose a favourite book and approach a member of staff to read it to them. They comfortably snuggle in and enjoy this one-to-one time.

Children show resilience and try and work things out for themselves. They are immensely proud of their achievements. Children cheer and shout, 'I did it!'.

They are confident to ask for help when they find tasks difficult. Staff offer guidance and advice to help them master skills, such as using a knife to slice a variety of vegetables. They remind children how to do this safely and carefully.

Children explore different ways their bodies can move. For example, they competently swing on the climbing frame. Staff are nearby but allow children the freedom to experiment and manage their own risks.

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

The dedicated manager has an exceptionally good understanding of the context of the nursery and how she can best support children and their families. She recognises that each child has unique experiences, and plans a curriculum that endeavours to close gaps in children's knowledge, based on their starting points. The manager acknowledges the importance of offering outdoor play for those who may not usually have access to an outside space.

The manager has a clear vision. She successfully evaluates the service she provides and plans to continually improve. For instance, the manager has identified that she would like to broaden children's experiences in the local community.

Additionally, she focusses on staff well-being to enable them to face the challenges of their roles. In return, staff feel well-supported through many training opportunities and regular supervisions.Staff focus strongly on helping children manage their own emotions.

They sensitively use story times to encourage them to talk about their feelings. Children delight in explaining why the characters in the book might be scared of the bear. Additional funding has been used to purchase resources, such as role-play costumes, that help boost children's confidence and self-esteem.

Children show good levels of independence. They are eager to show the inspector how they can use the water dispenser. However, staff do not consistently reinforce children's growing understanding of keeping themselves healthy.

For example, occasionally, they do not remind children to wash their hands before eating.Staff organise the routines so that they do not interrupt children's engagement in their learning. For instance, children make their own decisions about whether they want to stop playing to have their snack.

Nevertheless, at times, some staff do not enable children to express their own ideas and creativity during adult-led activities.Children invite staff to join in with their play. Staff enthusiastically demonstrate how they can draw round each other with chalk.

They skilfully introduce mathematics when they compare the different sizes, and incidentally use words such as 'bigger' and 'taller'. This contributes to children's deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) extremely well.

They precisely tailor their interactions to suit each child's individual needs. The knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with other agencies and provides relevant guidance. As a result, all children make progress and are able to take an active part in the nursery day.

Parents are very happy that their children spend time outdoors at the nursery and learn to appreciate nature through activities such as growing herbs. They receive detailed daily feedback and gain ideas to support their child's learning at home. Parents say their children have 'thrived' throughout their time at the nursery, and that the welcoming staff really understand their children's needs.

Teachers visit the nursery to get to know children and ease their transitions to school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff and managers build strong, trusting partnerships with parents, which allows them to monitor children's well-being effectively.

They have a wide range of safeguarding knowledge and know the procedures to follow if they have any child protection concerns. This includes in the event of an allegation against themselves or a colleague. Staff attend regular safeguarding training to keep their knowledge current.

They recognise the vital importance of monitoring attendance and records. All staff undergo checks to evidence their suitability to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen hygiene practices to reinforce the importance of personal hygiene support staff to understand the importance of enabling children to be creative and express their own ideas.