Curious Caterpillars Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents

This provision is good • Children form secure and close relationships with their key person and other staff. Staff are friendly and welcome children warmly on arrival.

They offer praise and reassurance during children's play and celebrate their achievements, however small. • The quality of staff teaching is good, in particular for pre-school children. For example, older children spontaneously give the answer to simple sums when staff ask how many serving dishes are needed in total for each table.

• Staff regularly complete observations and assessments of children's progress. They use the information they gather effectively to identify and plan for each child's next steps... in learning. All children make good progress in their learning and development.

• Staff have clear, consistent expectations for children's behaviour that children understand. They behave well and learn to manage their feelings and play with others. • Parents comment on the 'friendly, caring' atmosphere the staff create.

They say how well staff help their children develop in confidence and prepare them well for school. • The manager and her team demonstrate a long-term, well-documented and largely successful drive to improve the education and care of the children who attend. For example, she has supported a member of staff to gain early years teacher status to bring further expertise to the staff team to improve outcomes for children.

• At times, staff do not consistently help children raise their awareness of healthy eating or positive hygiene practices, to help promote children's understanding of good health more effectively. • Staff working with two-year-olds do not organise some parts of the session, such as when waiting to go outdoors, getting ready for sleep and group times, to support children's learning opportunities consistently well. • Systems used by the manager to enhance the knowledge and skills of newer staff and apprentices are still being established and are not yet fully effective in delivering consistently high-quality practice.