College Grove Nursery Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children happily enter the welcoming, accessible and safe nursery and settle quickly. Older children are eager to talk about their Halloween costumes, which they proudly show off. Babies and young children have secure attachments with staff.

Staff meet the care needs of new babies effectively. These mirror home routines because staff work closely with parents. Children in the pre-school room have wonderful friendships.

They play collaboratively and are respectful and helpful. Children learn to appreciate difference, make decisions and behave well. All age groups develop early independence because staff have high expect...ations, although younger children, at times, need greater support from staff.

Children enjoy doing things for themselves during care routines such as serving their own hearty and nutritious home-made lunch and pouring drinks. Older children chat away to the nursery chef, who often bakes with them. Staff in the pre-school room are particularly dynamic and display excellent teaching.

They plan an exciting and extensive array of challenging activities. These motivate and engage children, prepare them well for school and build on their already impressive language. Staff's practice with the children aged under three years is good, but not yet as strong.

Parents are exceptionally well informed about, and involved in, their children's learning.

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

Staff continually observe, assess and plan well overall for children's interests, what they need to master next and any gaps in the curriculum. Staff greatly enhance older children's intrigue in combining media.

Children mix different sensory 'ingredients' to create a Halloween potion. Staff ignite children's imagination and creativity superbly through their amusing, exciting and motivating role play.Staff use an extensive array of home-learning initiatives to engage parents.

For example, parents create autumn bags with their children, borrow number bags and record the nursery bear's adventures when children take him home. Parents also add their own observations to the sharing-tree display.Staff gather ample information from new parents, including what developmental stage their children are at and their particular interests.

Consequently, staff tailor settling-in visits to each child's specific needs and what they enjoy doing. New babies stay close to their key person while developing confidence to explore on their own.Although staff provide various resources and activities in the baby room, they do not always provide enough challenge for the most able toddlers.

Furthermore, where young children move to the under-three's room, staff do not always recognise when they may require additional support.Children develop good early mathematical skills. Children aged two years enjoy filling different-sized containers in the sand and water.

Older children solve problems as they consider how to attach two yoghurt pots together to make a pasta shaker. They also show excellent use of the interactive whiteboard while harmoniously playing a dominoes game. Older children kindly show their less confident peers what to do.

Staff closely supervise toddlers as they develop their physical skills and manage early risks. They give them sensitive reminders to be careful while walking across crates or climbing up to the pirate ship platform.Staff's qualifications and further training opportunities have a generally positive impact.

The nursery owner, who is also the manager, continually observes and reflects on practice and gives staff feedback on their performance. She is now targeting supervision meetings more precisely, given the recent restructure of the under-three's provision.Staff encourage parents to support younger children's early communication skills, for instance through nursery-rhyme bags.

Babies and toddlers snuggle up to the loving staff to look at books or a family photograph album. Staff talk about what is happening and build on children's use of single words. However, staff do not maximise their use of language as babies and toddlers play and during care routines.

Older children have very good literacy skills. They confidently write letters and take home favourite stories. They use small-world figures, such as a troll and different-sized goats, to re-enact familiar stories.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have regular safeguarding training to refresh or update their knowledge of child protection issues. They can identify possible signs of abuse and fully understand both internal and external reporting procedures, which helps children to stay safe.

Staff undertake good risk assessments, stringently monitor access to the nursery and supervise children closely. This helps 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: nincrease support for the youngest children when moving between rooms and provide greater challenge for older toddlers in the baby room maximise opportunities to build on babies' and toddlers' early communication and language skills.