Dodford Farm Daycare Nursery Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and enjoy coming to the nursery. Staff are caring, and they form positive relationships with children.

They offer a gentle settling-in process to support each family's needs. Key workers know children and their families well and younger children seek comfort from them as needed. Children make good friendships with their peers.

Older children independently take turns and play cooperatively with each other. Staff support children to learn about their feelings and help them to understand how their behaviour will impact others.Staff provide nurturing environments for children to explore.

The nur...sery is based on a working farm, and children have opportunities for daily outdoor play. Children enjoy going for walks around the farm while learning about the world around them. For example, they learn about caring for animals, and older children enjoy pretending to be vets and farmers in their imaginative play.

Staff plan a range of activities to support children's learning and development across all areas of the curriculum. For example, babies explore play dough and enjoy trying to roll, poke and shape it. This supports their physical development and strengthens their hand muscles in preparation for early writing.

All children make good progress from their starting points.

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

The provider has a clear vision for the nursery. They know what they want children to learn and be able to do by the time they move on to the next stage in their education.

The provider sequences their curriculum to build children's knowledge and skills as they move from room to room. For example, early independence nurtured in the baby room is extended for toddlers as they practise putting on their own outdoor clothing. The pre-school room prepares children well for their transition to school.

For example, older children demonstrate that they can confidently explore and solve problems for themselves.The provider ensures that any gaps in children's learning are identified early so that children get the right help, at the right time, to help them make good progress in their learning. For example, the provider completes thorough assessments to ensure that children are achieving expected milestones and makes timely referrals to appropriate professionals, as required.

The provider works collaboratively with external agencies and other settings to support families. For example, staff work with inclusion officers to provide parents with advice about supporting their children's behaviour at home.The majority of staff support children's communication and language development effectively, although this is not always consistent.

Children regularly have opportunities to engage with stories and songs throughout the day. Babies, in particular, benefit from spontaneous singing by staff during play, which they thoroughly enjoy. Older children join in enthusiastically as they rehearse action songs for their upcoming Christmas performance.

However, some staff do not use their interactions with children in a way that supports children's emerging language.Staff play a key role in fostering children's mathematical development. For example, older children demonstrate confidence in counting and are able to represent numbers effectively using their hands and fingers.

Additionally, staff encourage the use of mathematical language to compare sizes, such as 'longer', 'shorter', 'bigger' or 'smaller'.Children behave well and demonstrate a positive attitude towards their learning. They benefit from familiar routines that help them to feel safe and secure.

Children independently explore their environment and select resources as they play. However, staff do not consistently extend children's learning beyond what children already know and can do to help them make the best possible progress.Staff have exceptional partnerships with parents.

From the outset, staff collect detailed information about children's care routines and individual needs to ensure a smooth transition into the nursery. Parents receive regular updates about their child's progress, including their next steps and suggestions for how they can support learning at home. Parents express appreciation for the staff's friendly and supportive nature.

They are grateful for how the nursery establishes a collaborative approach between nursery and home life that supports essential milestones, such as toilet training and weaning.The provider prioritises staff well-being, and all staff feel well supported. They ensure that all staff have regular opportunities for training, supervision and team meetings.

For example, staff attended safer sleep training and adapted their cot room environment and practices as a result. The provider is extremely reflective and continuously evaluates practice to identify strengths and any areas for further improvement. They strive to continually provide high-quality care and education to children and their families.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

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 strengthen their interactions with children to further develop children's communication and language skills raise the quality of staff's teaching to a consistently high standard so that children fully benefit from the intended curriculum and make even more progress.