Ducklings Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happily at the nursery, eager to come inside.

They are greeted by enthusiastic, friendly staff who are kind and nurturing towards them. This helps children to settle quickly and to feel safe in their care. Staff arrange the play environments to enable children to make choices about the resources they select and how they play with them.

For example, older children independently select paper and mark-making tools and decide what they want to draw. Others choose from a range of loose parts and decide they need scissors to cut their shapes to fit. They use their skills to solve problems and practise their c...utting.

In all areas of the nursery, children behave well. This is because staff help them to understand the behaviour that is expected of them. Staff model kind and respectful behaviours with each other and with children.

Children listen and respond well to the staff's gentle reminders to use 'kind hands' and to take turns with their peers during play. Young children readily use their good manners and say 'more please' during mealtimes. In general, children gain the skills and knowledge they need to prepare them for the next stages in their learning and the eventual move on to school.

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

The nursery curriculum is sequenced well to enable children to continually build on what they know and can do. Staff provide abundant opportunities for children to access resources and activities independently. Children continue to practise and strengthen the skills they have learned, such as the use of scissors to practise their cutting skills.

Staff gather information about children's learning through discussions with parents and their observations to decide what children are ready to learn. However, they do not yet focus their teaching for children's intended learning sharply enough to enable children to make even more rapid progress.Children thoroughly enjoy singing with the staff.

They begin to follow the actions and join in the words in time to the song. Staff build anticipation towards the end, and children giggle and clap alongside their peers. Staff encourage children's contributions while they read stories.

They skilfully ask questions that help children to think about and share their ideas about what may happen next. Babies are keen to point out and name the objects they know on the pages.Communication and language is promoted well for all children.

Staff use additional programmes, which help them to provide the right support where children need it. Children who are nonverbal begin to use sounds alongside simple signing. As a result, with daily support, children increase the clarity of their speech and build on their communication, vocabulary and understanding of a range of words they may use.

In general, staff promote independence. For example, babies learn the sequence of handwashing before meals and after exploring substances such as paint. Young children learn to manage their personal care, wiping noses and using the bathroom, while the oldest children tidy away resources exceptionally well.

That said, there is scope to provide young children with further opportunities to practise their self-help skills, such as dressing in their coats and hats in preparation for play outdoors.Children have lots of fun while they learn outdoors. They access a varied range of resources to engage in play with their peers.

For example, the oldest children enjoy construction and use their imaginations to build game controllers, acting out play with computer games. Others organise and play card games, taking turns with their peers. They excitedly share with others when they have found a matching pair.

Managers provide staff with mandatory training, such as for paediatric first aid and safeguarding. They ensure that staff keep this knowledge current, for example, with the use of fun quizzes and other discussions about a range of child protection matters during group meetings and regular supervision meetings.Parents speak positively about the nursery.

They say that their children are happy attending and comment on the progress they make. Parents say that staff are kind, caring and always smiling. Parents value the daily information they receive about their child's care and learning.

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: focus the plans for teaching to ensure that this supports the intended learning for children to help them to make the most progress they are capable of provide further opportunities for children to practise self-help skills and learn to complete tasks for themselves, such as self-dressing.