Coombe Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children have a good start to their education at this nursery. They form strong attachments with adults and build friendships with other children. Children are safe and happy.

They enjoy a broad curriculum, including visits to local areas of interest. They learn about the environment and different events, for example, children visit the London aquarium. Children take part in a range of experiences that are tailored to meet their individual needs.

They are challenged in their learning and staff have high expectations of children. All children make good progress. Children's achievements and special moments are celebrated....

For instance, children leaving for school proudly join in their graduation event. They behave well and follow instructions. Children understand what rules they need to follow and why.

Children learn to show care and concern for living things, such as their pet animals. A strong area of the curriculum is communication and language. Children eagerly join in role play, stories, singing and discussions which effectively expand their vocabulary and their ability to become confident talkers.

Older children speak fluently and eagerly join in with stories. They learn to count, identify colours and shapes.

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

The curriculum is balanced and interesting for children.

Staff gather information from parents to help them understand children's existing skills and knowledge. They know what children need to learn next and create fun ways of implementing this learning. All children make good progress.

The manager supports staff to identify children who may show potential gaps in their learning. She works closely with parents and seeks advice from relevant professionals in the local authority, when appropriate.Babies and toddlers are very happy and content.

They delight in the experiences provided. For example, toddlers join in role play with dolls. Children learn to care for others and to be respectful.

Babies show pride as they are supported to walk up and down with the support of staff, practising new skills. However, on occasion, staff do not organise routine as well as possible and as a result babies are left waiting to go outside and become impatient.Staff know children well and respond to children's non-verbal cues.

For example, babies point to the bubble equipment. Staff ask, 'would you like some bubbles?' They show excitement when staff recognise this and join in trying to catch and pop the bubbles. Staff effectively introduce vocabulary such as, 'pop', as children repeat, 'pop, pop'.

Staff use effective levels of praise consistently and encourage all children to share. This has a positive impact on children's emotional well- being.Staff provide many opportunities to strengthen children's finger muscles and promote their writing skills.

However, at times, some staff do not encourage children to complete activities for themselves. For example, during an art activity in the pre-school room, staff draw circles and cut shapes out for children. They do not allow the children to have a go at writing words for themselves, which does not fully maximise children's literacy skills.

Children benefit from plenty of fresh air and develop strong physical skills. They show enjoyment in sitting together at lunchtime. Staff provide fresh, healthy meals.

However, they do not encourage toddlers to have a go at serving themselves or cleaning their own hands and face after lunch. As a result, younger children's independence is not always encouraged.The manager has strong leadership skills.

She is passionate, dedicated and has high expectations for the children and staff. Staff feel valued and supported. They benefit from good staff professional development, regular team meetings and reflect on their practice.

They work together to drive forward improvements that benefit children's learning.Parents speak very highly of the nursery and staff team. They are particularly pleased with the arrangement for communication and say that staff provide excellent advice, reassurance and support for them and their child.

They feel listened to and involved in the nursery.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff prioritise children's safety.

They carry out specific risk assessments to meet children's individual safety needs and know the emergency procedures to follow. The manager ensures that staff understand their responsibilities to keep children safe from harm. Staff benefit from regular training on child protection and wider safeguarding issues, such as county lines and domestic abuse.

They confidently identify signs of potential abuse and have clear procedures for recording and reporting concerns. The manager follows safer recruitment guidelines to help her recruit new staff safely. She has effective systems in place to ensure staff are continuously suitable to work with children.

All necessary documentations are in place and current, including staff paediatric first aid. She knows who to contact if an allegation is made against a member of staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop the routine to allow babies access to the garden so they are not waiting for long to have the door open and become impatient review how the curriculum for literacy is implemented to further extend older children's writing skills review the lunchtime routine, particularly for toddlers to help further promote their independence.