Daisy Chain Nursery (Westbourne)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children come into the nursery confidently and quickly settle. They know the routine in the nursery very well. For example, children find their names and place their belongings on their peg.

Children benefit from sensitive attachments with their key person. They demonstrate that they are happy, content and feel safe in the nursery. This is evident as children keenly welcome new visitors, such as the inspector, to the setting and invite them into their play.

Children excitedly choose from an interesting range of learning opportunities. For instance, older children develop their imaginations as they describe to staff the... different food they are making in the role-play area. Staff have high expectations of all children.

Children engage well in activities and are keen to demonstrate what they know and can do. They solve problems with the support of staff. For example, staff support and supervise children to develop an understanding of technology.

Children concentrate as they operate various learning programmes.Children's behaviour is good. They learn how to use their manners and be respectful towards their friends and staff.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make progress in their learning.

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

The new manager and staff have worked hard to develop an ambitious curriculum. Staff understand how to implement the nursery's curriculum to help children to continually learn and gain further knowledge.

They know children well and identify their interests, as well as any additional targets that individual children may have. This helps staff to plan activities that engage children well in learning. However, very occasionally, staff do not closely consider the needs of some younger children when they are grouped together for activities.

For example, younger children do not want to take part and move around, which disrupts other children's learning opportunities.Staff support children's communication and language development well. They speak clearly and calmly and use age-appropriate language to describe and comment on what is happening.

For example, while children looked at the different countries on a globe, a staff member introduced new words, such as 'Florida' and 'eagles'. As the children had not heard these words before, she repeated them to enable the children to hear them again, supporting their knowledge and understanding. Children develop good communication and language skills.

Staff use a range of methods to support children in understanding how to behave. For example, they use sand timers with children to support them in understanding when it is each other's turn. Older children model this method and are keen to share popular resources with their friends.

Children behave well and are developing their knowledge and understanding of how to manage their emotions.Children enjoy fresh air and exercise as they play outside. There are plenty of opportunities for children to challenge their large muscles.

For example, they move crates to build bridges and carefully balance as they move across. Staff are skilful and encourage children to keep trying as they pump the water out of a large tube.Children benefit from healthy practices.

They listen to staff and learn the importance of applying sun cream. Children routinely know to wash their hands before mealtimes. This supports their health and well-being.

Staff are swift to identify children who need extra support with their learning and development. While they wait for a formal assessment of their needs, staff work with parents and outside agencies to ensure children receive support. Children with SEND make continuous progress in their development.

Overall, parents are positive about the nursery and the staff. They comment that their children have made good progress since joining the nursery. However, information about their children's learning does not support all parents to know how they can further this learning at home.

The manager and staff have positive relationships with each other. Staff talk positively about the support they receive from the manager. There are systems in place for the manager to identify mandatory training needs.

However, systems are not fully embedded to consider how training meets the individual needs of staff, or the quality of education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff demonstrate a secure understanding of the procedures to keep children safe from harm.

They are aware of the possible signs that might indicate a child is at risk. The staff know how to report any concerns they may have about a child in their care. The manager ensures that staff attend regular child protection training, to ensure they keep their knowledge up to date.

Regular checks on the environment enable staff to identify and eliminate any risks to children. The manager ensures there are robust recruitment procedures in place to make sure that those working with children are suitable.

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 consider the needs of younger children more closely when putting them into groups for activities nextend the partnerships with parents further, to help all parents understand how to support their child's individual learning at home precisely focus training on the individual needs of staff to raise the quality of education even further.