Dolphin Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

All children are warmly greeted by their key person on their arrival and confidently separate from their parents. Those children who are new to the setting or transitioning from one room to the next are supported well. Children settle quickly and have close bonds with the caring and attentive staff.

They demonstrate a positive attitude to learning and are eager to join in with the activities. Babies show high levels of engagement and enjoyment during a game of bubbles with staff. They smile, laugh out loud, and move their bodies with excitement.

Babies learn to reach out safely as the bubbles float past them. Pre-schoo...l children concentrate hard as they use wooden discs and numbered sticks to identify numbers and count. Children are keen to show what they know and can do.

They rise to the challenge when staff present them with more complex mathematical problems to solve.Children are welcoming and sociable. They are unperturbed by visitors and are confident to approach and invite them to join them in their play.

Children develop an understanding of routines and staff's expectations, and they behave well. Babies and toddlers who have fewer opportunities to mix with other children of a similar age are supported well. Staff encourage them to share and take turns as they play, and during daily routines.

Children learn from each other, as older pre-school children gently remind those younger than themselves that they need to take it in turns when serving out dinner.

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

The manager and staff have a good understanding of what they want children to learn. They provide an exciting environment and range of resources that captures children's attention.

Staff complete assessments of what children know and can do. They quickly identify where children may need extra help, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff put additional support plans in place to ensure children's individual care and learning needs are met effectively.

Staff plan and provide activities that reflect children's interests and next steps in their learning. Overall, their interactions with children are positive. Staff join in with children's play.

They talk to and make suggestions to children about what they can do next. However, at times, staff's explanations to children are not clear enough to help them to understand what they need to do, and to build on their learning further.Partnership with parents is strong.

All children have a key person who supports them in the setting. They ensure that parents are kept informed and involved in their children's care and learning, through a regular two-way exchange of information. The key person shares activity ideas and resources for parents to take home.

This helps parents to build on their children's learning outside of the setting. Parents comment positively about the staff and how well they know their children. They describe how their children enjoy their time at the setting and how they have learned new things.

The manager supports staff to attend regular training events and to use the knowledge they have gained to support children's learning and development. For example, staff learned about the importance of core strength and how this has an impact on children's writing skills. Staff have incorporated fun and physical activities, such as yoga and rhymical dancing for all ages into the curriculum.

Pre-school children comfortably stand at tables and create patterns and shapes in sand and rice using their fingers and a selection of tools.Staff plan activities and provide resources that help children to understand how to manage their feelings and emotions from a young age. 'Lilac' areas within each room provide a familiar, safe and calm space for children to reflect.

Staff introduce individual 'calming boxes', stories and props to help children to express how they are feeling. Staff implement effective and consistent strategies to manage any unwanted behaviour. They are positive role models and lead by example.

Children are encouraged to use good manners and be kind to one another.Children are provided with a range of meals and snacks. Fresh water is available in each room and children are encouraged to help themselves when they are thirsty.

Mealtimes are, overall, social and positive occasions. However, at times, children are not as well supported by staff. For example, staff leave the table to take some children to the door to be collected by their parents.

Some of the remaining children at the table become distracted and unsettled. That said, babies and toddlers learn to feed themselves and use cutlery safely. Pre-school children confidently serve themselves and tidy away their plates when they are finished.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff understand their responsibilities to keep children safe. Staff complete regular training and discuss safeguarding issues during meetings to keep their knowledge and understanding up to date.

They know how to report any concerns and liaise with other agencies to promote children's safety and welfare. The manager ensures that all necessary suitability checks are completed to make sure that those working with children are suitable to do so. Staff work well together and are deployed effectively to ensure that children are supervised at all times.

Risk assessments help staff to identify hazards that pose a risk to children. Appropriate action is taken to ensure that the premises are safe and secure.

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 help children to understand what they need to do in order to continue their learning further nimprove mealtimes to ensure that all children receive consistent support and guidance from staff.

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