Daisychain Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children, including those new to the nursery, settle well. Staff work quickly to identify the specific activity that will support this process for each child.

This enables children to promptly become engrossed in their play on their arrival. The well-established and effective key-person system supports relationships that children develop with staff and enhances their emotional well-being. Children develop good friendships with each other and spend large amounts of their time playing imaginatively, such as pretending to go shopping together.

Children listen to and follow instructions well. They receive clear warnings fr...om staff at points throughout the day for routine changes. This enables children to understand when they need to draw their chosen play to a close.

Children are able to communicate their desires and interests through the wide variety of effective methods staff use. For example, some children seek out the cards staff carry with them to select and indicate what they would like to play with. Staff act promptly on these gestures and also use the cards to help children to follow instructions.

Room leaders use their secure knowledge of what children know, understand and can do to support them as they play and learn. They seek additional support for children who need extra help with their learning and development.

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

Children have a wealth of opportunities to take the lead in their learning and they concentrate well at their chosen play.

For example, children played for long periods as they pretended to make dinner. They decided on the ingredients they would like and mixed these together, discussing how their dinner smelt and how they could add extra flavours.Staff know what they want children to learn from the activities on offer and how these cover all of the areas of learning.

However, not all staff know each child's identified next steps in learning. This does not enable them to focus even more effectively on helping individual children to gain the most learning as possible from the opportunities.Partnerships with parents are good.

Parents speak highly of the communications they have with staff. This helps them to have a clear awareness of their child's achievements. The provider and staff have maintained the relationships throughout the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

For example, they have continued to communicate through email, provided craft packs for children and created videos to share.Staff provide interesting and thought-provoking opportunities for children that they become thoroughly engrossed in. For instance, children explored items frozen in ice and tested out their theories, such as placing the ice in the sunshine to see if it would melt faster.

At times, room leaders have to provide direction to temporary staff. This sometimes distracts them from their interactions with children and disrupts the activity and, therefore, learning.With effective support from staff, children are beginning to understand the impact of their actions on others.

Staff offer simple explanations such as that their friends may not want to be squirted with water as they may not want to get their clothes wet. Children learn about their safety and that of others. For example, when a child wanted to use a piece of wood while hunting for insects, the staff member explained about checking the wood first for anything that may hurt them.

Staff supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have a very clear understanding of their role. They use their knowledge to great effect to ensure that each child has the appropriate supports to help ensure that gaps in learning close as swiftly as possible. Staff use additional funding children receive successfully and specifically to enhance the outcomes for the individual child.

The provider engages with staff continually to ensure that she is fully aware of any pressures on their well-being from their workload. They have revised their supervision and appraisal system to enable this to be a fully supportive experience. Staff feel that leaders foster a culture of mutual respect and effective team working.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The provider follows robust recruitment procedures to ensure staff caring for children are suitable. Staff have a clear knowledge of child protection issues and the wider aspects of safeguarding.

They understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding children and how to refer any concerns they may have about children or adults. Staff complete regular risk assessments and minimise any hazards that arise. They make clear records of any accidental injuries that children may have.

The provider ensures that the training programme enhances staff's professional development and is well targeted to support children's individual needs. For example, a recent course has further improved staff's knowledge of planning the play provision for boys.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide support so that all staff know and understand each child's next steps in learning to help them make the most of their interactions with children nenable all staff to fully focus on the activity they are undertaking with children, rather than directing others, to ensure that children's enjoyment and learning is not interrupted.