Child First Northampton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thrive in the warm and welcoming nursery.

Staff guide children to develop their independence skills from the moment they walk in. They cheerfully greet every child as they enter and encourage children to put away their belongings. Children's physical development is well supported by staff.

They take children for walks where children practise climbing and balancing as they clamber through the on-site woodland. Staff promote children's understanding of nature through first-hand experiences. Staff teach children to care for plants, grow vegetables and look after wildlife.

Children confidently share knowl...edge they have previously learned as they talk about the tadpoles in the pond and the life cycle of frogs.Staff provide an engaging environment and offer warm interactions supporting children to feel safe and secure. Babies happily practise scooping and pouring with sand to develop the hand-eye coordination needed to use cutlery at mealtimes.

Staff model good behaviour helping toddlers learn to take turns with instruments as they experiment with sound. Staff promote a positive attitude to learning. For example, staff offer lots of praise and encouragement, helping children persist with the tricky task of sticking clay to a tree.

These experiences support children to make good progress in their learning and development.

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

The manager and her team have implemented a broad curriculum that builds on what children already know and can do. This means that learning is purposeful, and it matches children's level of development.

Staff plan activities that guide children to make connections and remember what they have previously learned. Staff use stories that children know well during play. For example, staff prompt children to recall key phrases from a book as they build their own beanstalks adding branches and leaves to dough.

Books are an important part of the curriculum and are used throughout the nursery. In addition, staff have created a book-lending library to support reading at home.Overall, the quality of teaching is good.

Most staff interact with children very well, offering challenge around the children's interests and abilities. However, at times staff do not fully engage with children during their self-chosen play. This can result in children losing interest and not fully benefiting from the learning experiences on offer.

Although managers have targeted professional development to improve staff practice, this is not yet reflected in the consistency of staff interactions throughout the nursery.Staff use assessment effectively to identify gaps in children's learning. They take swift action involving other professionals and work with parents to develop individual support plans for children who need them.

Targets and tailored interventions are implemented to support children's next steps in learning ensuring children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make rapid progress.Staff have built strong partnerships with parents. They communicate through daily conversations and share photos, observations and home learning ideas through an online application.

Parents are highly complimentary of the care provided to their children and feel well informed about their child's learning and development.Staff plan transitions to support the smooth move from one room to another. For instance, children are accompanied by their key person while they become familiar with the new room and the daily routine.

This helps children to feel safe and secure and to settle quickly. Those children who will be moving on to school are well prepared. Staff invite school teachers in to help children become familiar with them and plan activities that develop school readiness skills.

Children learn good hygiene and self-care skills. Staff teach even the youngest children good habits as they wash their hands before meals and wipe their own faces afterwards. Older children learn about the importance of dental hygiene.

Staff use games and activities to support their understanding of oral health.Staff plan enriching experiences for the children to help them learn about the world they are growing up in. For example, they visit the local care home where children take part in activities and story times with the residents.

Furthermore, children benefit from special visitors. For instance, children learn about fire safety when the fire brigade visits. These valuable learning experiences further promote children's personal development.

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 further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: focus professional development opportunities to ensure all staff consistently offer high-quality education.