Dollymixtures Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

The friendly and dedicated staff give a warm welcome to each individual child when they arrive at this homely and inviting nursery. As a result, children are visibly happy and settle quickly. All children make rapid progress from their starting points.

They learn through a highly effective balance of child-initiated and adult-led learning experiences. Children articulately express their thoughts and ideas to their peers and staff, who respect and value what they have to say. Children demonstrate exemplary behaviour and high levels of confidence in new social situations.

They are encouraged to develop their self-...care skills and to carry out small tasks. Children take turns to be the dinnertime helper, which helps to raise their self-esteem and give them a feeling of self-worth. Children are supported exceptionally well to develop their literacy skills.

They take part in fun and engaging phonic sessions and sing rhymes to remember how to write different letters. Children demonstrate excellent listening and attention skills. They become engrossed in listening to engaging stories which ignite their imagination.

For example, children enthusiastically take part in interactive story sessions as they go on a 'bear hunt' outside. They laugh and giggle with each other while pretending to walk through mud and tall grass.

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

Extremely strong teaching helps children to recognise the similarities and differences between themselves and others.

This supports children to develop an awareness of diversity. Staff make the most of all opportunities to help children learn about different faiths and cultures. For example, children take part in bhangra dancing and tasting different foods.

The highly skilled staff provide rich, varied and imaginative learning opportunities. For example, children become engrossed in exciting and memorable science experiments. They watch with amazement as they add vinegar to baking soda and talk excitedly about the fizzing sounds and the bubbles.

This helps to further support children's growing curiosity and motivation to learn.Babies are supported extremely well to explore and develop their natural curiosity. Staff provide an excellent variety of sensory play experiences through a range of interesting resources with different textures and sounds.

Babies freely express themselves through movement and music and have lots of fun banging and shaking instruments to the lively music.Children have excellent opportunities to develop a wide range of physical skills through challenging outdoor activities. Older children run excitedly with their friends, climbing and balancing on the large physical apparatus.

Younger children develop their early walking skills in the safe and secure environment. They skilfully climb steps and take turns to travel down the slide.Children are supported exceedingly well to develop their understanding of healthy foods and how to lead a healthy lifestyle.

For example, they visit the nursery allotment where they grow and harvest their own vegetables. Children clearly demonstrate their understanding of where food comes from and explain that 'vegetables need water to grow'.The management team creates a culture of highly reflective practice and self-evaluation which is extremely well embedded throughout the whole nursery.

Staff morale is extremely high and they work commendably as a team. They express how supported they feel by the managers, who successfully provide personalised training to meet their professional needs. As a result, teaching remains strong and effective across all areas of learning.

Valuable information gathered from parents is used extremely well to ensure children's emotional and physical needs are met. Staff expertly use their detailed observations and assessments of what children can do to plan for children's next steps.Parents receive first-class information about their children's progress.

They value the online learning journey that supports them in being fully involved in their children's learning. Parents hold the nursery and staff in high regard. They say their children have flourished at the nursery and staff are always friendly and professional.

They express their delight with the level of care their children receive.Members of the management team have established excellent links with the local school. They attend regular meetings with the teachers to provide all children with continuity of care and learning.

To ensure children's transitions are smooth they visit the local school and meet the teaching staff. This helps children to develop the emotional, social and academic skills, ready to flourish at school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The management team and staff have an excellent understanding of the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of neglect or abuse. They have a strong knowledge of wider safeguarding concerns, including being drawn into extreme situations. Children learn how to keep themselves safe.

For example, the community police officer is invited into the nursery to talk to the children about road safety. The management team and staff talk to the children and parents about staying safe on the internet and provide valuable information for parents to read. The management team and staff have a robust knowledge of safeguarding protocols and actions to take if there are any concerns about a child's welfare.

The environment is safe and secure. In-depth risk assessments both indoors and outdoors and any outings that children take part in are conducted on a daily basis. All staff and the management team are trained in paediatric first aid and consider children's safety and well-being to be of utmost importance.