Children 1st @ Main Street

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They show their awareness of the routines of the day. For example, when children arrive, they select a keyring that shows their photograph, and put this on a peg with their coats and bags.

This contributes to their sense of belonging. When staff play music, older children react positively and start to tidy away toys. Children learn to care for their environment.

The manager and staff have high expectations of children's learning. They offer children unique opportunities to develop their imaginative skills. Children make masks and pretend to be superhero...es.

They relish the opportunity to complete tasks, such as to explore outdoors to look for broccoli, carrots and leeks that are hidden. Staff give children clipboards, paper and pencils and ask them to record what they find, helping to develop their early writing skills. Children learn how to manage their behaviour.

Staff talk to them about the feelings and behaviours of characters in stories they read to them. This helps children to develop their understanding of their own feelings and the importance of being kind to their friends. Children have opportunities at the end of their session at the nursery to choose a healthy snack and drink to take home.

This contributes to their good health.

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

The dedicated manager shows a strong focus and drive to provide high-quality care and education for children. Self-evaluation processes include the views of parents, children and staff.

Recent improvements include the introduction, for children between the ages of two and three years, of allocating a child to be the 'star of the day'. Children are keen to tell staff why they feel they should be 'star of the day'. They say, 'I chopped the apples' and, 'I tidied the toys away'.

This helps to promote positive behaviour.The manager observes staff working with the children and offers them appraisal meetings to discuss their role. Staff extend their professional development.

They attend in-house training that deepens their knowledge of how to encourage younger children to use different materials in their play. For example, children show pleasure in using their fingers to write numbers in flour.Staff use the curriculum to enhance opportunities for children and to help them to be prepared for future learning.

For example, they provide opportunities for children to learn about the wider world. Children look at pictures from other countries and try different foods.Staff find out from parents about what children already know and can do when they first start.

They use this information to plan for what children need to learn next. Children make good progress from their starting points in learning.Staff actively promote positive behaviour.

For example, they remind children to turn on their 'listening ears' before they give them instructions. They remind children to use good manners and give them a 'high five' to praise their achievements. Children behave well and are polite.

Staff encourage children to learn new skills. For example, they show younger children how to use a bat to hit a ball. Children are keen to copy.

Sometimes, however, staff do not maximise opportunities to strengthen and extend children's emerging understanding and challenge them in their learning.Staff help children to develop their literacy skills. They support children to develop a love of books and stories.

For example, children listen well when staff use different tones in their voice when they read a story. Younger children use chalk, crayons and pencils to draw pictures. They put a meaning to the marks they make and demonstrate a positive attitude to learning.

However, occasionally, staff do not identify opportunities to build on children's immediate interests, to help them to learn as much as possible.Staff share information with parents about children's achievements and what they need to learn next. This helps them to know their children's development and how they can continue to support them at home.

Parents comment positively about the supportive staff.The nursery cook and staff offer children a healthy range of foods to promote a healthy diet. Meal and snack times are sociable occasions.

Before children start to eat their lunch, they join hands with their friends and sing a 'thank you' song. Staff talk to children about the food they eat. This contributes to children's communication and social skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff find out about children's medical and dietary needs when they first start. They make sure that all staff and the cook are aware of these.

This helps them to promote children's good health. Staff complete safety checks in each of the rooms in the nursery and on the toys they offer children. This helps to provide a safe environment for children to play.

The management team and staff have a good understanding of the signs of abuse. The manager works closely with other agencies to promote children's safety and welfare.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to further develop their already good interactions with children, so that they strengthen opportunities to extend and challenge children in their learning build further on children's immediate interests during activities to help them make even better progress.