Church Street Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement There are inconsistencies in the quality of education that children receive.

Staff plan and provide some activities for children to take part in throughout their day. Younger children search through shredded paper that represents foliage to find models of bugs. They are provided with tweezers to use to pick these up.

Staff sit alongside children during this activity. Older children help staff to mix ingredients together to make play dough. They know how much of each ingredient is needed.

However, staff are not always clear about what they want children to learn during activities. Consequently, teaching does not c...onsistently build on what children already know and can do. When children finish with activities, there are not enough resources of interest to them to encourage them to move on to something else.

This results in some children wandering or losing focus. They stand around with little stimulation. Older children spend prolonged periods of time watching downloaded educational programmes on a large screen.

This is an activity to settle children before lunch. They sing along to familiar songs about letter sounds. However, staff do not help children to develop their understanding of the letter sounds to assist their learning.

Children are mostly happy and settled in this nursery. They form warm relationships with the kind and caring staff. Children confidently explore their safe and nurturing environment and play alongside their peers.

They are confident to approach new people, showing their sense of security.

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

Managers show some understanding of what they want children to learn. However, the curriculum for children is not yet well established.

Staff provide activities to occupy children, but they do not consistently understand the intent for children's learning. This means that children are not supported to make good enough progress in their learning.Children behave well in the nursery.

They are kind and courteous towards each other and staff. Staff support children to follow instructions. They offer clear explanations when children are asked to wait.

Staff use visual aids, such as a clock, to help children understand when it is their turn to play with something.Staff know about children's individual interests and stages of development. They use their knowledge of children to identify what each child needs to learn next in order to sequence their learning.

However, activities and experiences that staff provide are not always closely matched to this information to help children achieve the next steps in their learning.Managers provide staff with regular opportunities for training and supervision. Staff have opportunities to talk about their work and they access regular training to help keep their knowledge of safeguarding issues up to date.

However, managers do not yet monitor the quality of staff's teaching and practice closely enough. Some weaknesses in staff's performance are not addressed swiftly enough to provide children with consistently good-quality education.Parents are happy with the care that their children receive.

They welcome the information that they receive about their child's care through daily handovers with staff and through an online app. Parents praise staff and managers and the support they provide to children and their families.Managers are committed to supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

There is a named coordinator who supports staff to implement tailored plans with children. The nursery works in partnership with other professionals to ensure that children with SEND receive any additional help they may need to fully benefit from their time at the nursery.Staff regularly speak to children and model different words.

Two-year-old children happily sing songs to greet their friends. Older children answer questions that staff ask at the end of activities. However, staff do not always allow children enough opportunities to build on their language skills.

At times, they ask questions in quick succession of each other without giving children time to respond. Some children, who do not yet speak, do not receive the encouragement or opportunities they need to become fluent communicators.Staff are attentive to children's care needs.

They are alert to children who may need help wiping their nose or changing their clothes. Children's nappies are regularly checked and changed. This promotes children's welfare.

Children are eager to play and have a thirst for getting involved in day-to-day nursery life. They understand the routine and what happens next. However, at times, children spend long periods waiting between activities or routines.

Snack time is not organised effectively, which means that some children wait for a very long time. During these times, some children naturally become bored, which impacts on their positive attitudes towards learning.

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 an ambitious curriculum that provides children with a breadth of opportunities to support them to make good progress across all areas of learning and development 28/06/2024 ensure that staff plan and provide suitably interesting and challenging activities and experiences that take account of children's individual interests and stages of development 28/06/2024 monitor staff's teaching and practice to identify and address weaknesses to ensure that children receive consistently good-quality education.28/06/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review transitional periods during routines to minimise waiting times for children and help them to sustain their positive attitude towards learning nimprove the support for children's communication and language development to help them to become fluent communicators.