Chelmsford YMCA Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children arrive happy and separate with ease from their parents.

Gentle and caring staff create a warm environment. They welcome children with smiles and cuddles. Children form strong attachments with the staff, which supports their emotional well-being.

They follow the setting's routines with confidence. For example, toddlers and pre-school children have their meals together to help those children who are transitioning between rooms. Staff and leaders provide opportunities for children to choose what they would like to access and explore next.

However, leaders have not ensured that all staff have sufficient know...ledge of the curriculum to enable all children to reach their full potential. Some activities help children to learn. For example, children enjoy exploring the play dough using various cutting tools and spices.

They mould the dough with confidence to build on their fine motor skills, while identifying the different scents. Other activities, such as circle time, are not captivating and meaningful and children become less engaged and choose to leave the area. Babies enjoy exploring the pretend food, closely observing key features.

Nurturing staff clearly name the items to support babies' understanding and language skills. Staff also prompt babies to work out how to operate toys with lids to develop their problem-solving skills. As a result, babies are content and concentrate well.

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

Leaders are in the process of embedding a new curriculum. They have good understanding of what they want children to learn. However, they do not successfully help all staff to understand how to put this into practice.

Children are not consistently benefiting from experiences and learning opportunities to help them make good progress.Staff complete regular observations and assessments to track children's progress. They also complete next steps in children's learning and share these with the parents.

However, staff do not implement the learning intentions of the curriculum well enough, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Furthermore, relevant information about children with SEND is not always shared with all staff. Additional funding is not always used effectively.

As a result, staff are often not able to meet the needs of children with SEND.Children enjoy exploring the stimulating garden. They create their own structures using large beams, cooperating with their peers.

Children then concentrate well to balance on the beams to further develop their gross motor skills and coordination. Children also have a great time exploring the mud kitchen, using real vegetables and utensils to engage in their play. Staff do not always interact with children to ensure they are fully stimulated and benefit from learning opportunities.

Children enjoy exploring books with staff and singing and dancing to their favourite songs. They laugh and giggle with excitement as they confidently move around the room. Children also engage well in a play dough activity.

As staff sing and deliver clear instructions, children listen intently and pat and roll the dough to further develop their fine motor skills. Staff introduce new words, such as 'squishy' and 'sticky', but they do not ensure all children understand and learn these new words.Staff receive regular supervision meetings.

They also complete relevant training to keep their knowledge current. Staff understand their responsibilities to ensure children's safety and welfare. Leaders identify that there are still weaknesses in the quality of teaching and are working through strategies to improve this.

They offer a diverse and inclusive practice and ensure all children are valued during their time at this setting. Leaders and staff also support children who speak English as an additional language by using visual prompts and sign language.Partnerships with parents are effective.

They are positive about the experiences their children have at this setting. Parents mention that communication is effective and praise the nurturing staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date implement a curriculum that ensures staff help children with SEND to make good progress, respond to their emerging needs and guide their development through warm, positive and meaningful interactions 18/08/2024 ensure staff have appropriate training, skills and knowledge to plan and deliver a rich and varied curriculum, to improve the experiences of children in the setting and the overall quality of teaching.18/08/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop opportunities for staff to engage children more in their learning across the curriculum and to encourage their active participation and involvement.