Early Explorers Childcare Limited - Northbrook

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The welcoming manager greets the children with a smile at the beginning of the session.

Children are happy and confident. They move around the room, self-selecting their own play from a range of well-set-up activities. The inviting and well-equipped nursery incorporates opportunities which cover all areas of development.

As children explore the appealing book area, staff intuitively read to them. Children concentrate for a period of time as they intently listen to staff, who use good intonation in their voice to bring stories alive. Staff naturally introduce new words, such as 'slimy', as children talk about how ice me...lts.

This widens children's vocabulary and supports their literacy skills. Staff act as positive role models and support children to take care of themselves, others and the environment. Staff help children to settle in quickly and are responsive and sensitive to the children's individual needs.

For example, staff offer a cuddle and a smile when children need reassurance or support. Behaviour is good. Children learn to share, negotiate and play collaboratively with one another.

For instance, children wave each other over to encourage those peers who are less confident to join in, before sharing the toy hammer between them.

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

The nominated individual understands her roles and carry these out effectively. She completes regular reviews of the nursery to ensure that managers are well supported and areas for improvement are identified.

For example, the nominated individual has introduced a special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator to oversee all nurseries within the group. This supports training needs and ensures good practice is disseminated. As a result, children with additional needs are well supported and make good progress from their starting points.

The manager knows her staff well and completes effective supervisions to support her staff's professional development. She gives them specific feedback to improve their practice and works with them to identify training needs.Staff form strong bonds with their key children, which helps the children to feel happy, safe and secure.

This supports children's emotional well-being. Staff know their children well and plan teaching based around their individual interests and next steps. This motivates children to learn.

Staff praise children's achievements, and this encourages their perseverance. For instance, staff encourage children to keep trying when squeezing the top of a pipette to draw the water up. However, as children adapt their play, staff do not always use their observations to follow the children's lead and extend their knowledge and skills further.

The children have opportunities to develop their physical skills and enjoy fresh air in the garden. Children can evaluate risk as they climb up slopes and use large movements as they run around. They enjoy healthy food choices and learn how to stay safe as they cut up fruit using a knife.

Nevertheless, children are not always afforded the time and space to carry out self-care skills that will enhance their independence to the highest level.Parents value the nursery. Staff gather information about children before they start and use this to build on children's prior learning.

Parents attend regular consultations which keep them up to date with their child's progress. They receive ideas for home learning, which ensures a collaborative approach.The manager and her staff have reflected on the experiences that children do not always have the opportunity to take part in.

Consequently, they have developed a curriculum that offers children 'awe and wonder'. For instance, children enjoy a trip on a coach to the local zoo to experience the wider world.The manager is a strong practitioner and works hard to ensure that all children have fun and creative learning opportunities.

The manager and staff use good teaching techniques to promote children's communication and language skills. They repeat back words for younger children and build on sentences for older children. However, on occasions, questions asked do not always extend children's thinking skills and offer challenge in their learning, particularly for older children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff attend safeguarding training and can identify possible signs and symptoms of abuse. They know the steps to take should they become worried about a child or family and are aware of the correct processes to follow should they have a concern.

The manager, who is the designated safeguarding lead, understands wider safeguarding issues such as the 'Prevent' duty and disseminates her knowledge to all other staff. The manager has strong procedures in place for the safe recruitment of staff and has a good induction process to ensure staff know their roles and responsibilities.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: further strengthen the opportunities for children to develop their independence during daily routines make the most of all opportunities to follow children's lead and extend play experiences to ensure children are fully challenged in their learning broaden the range of questions used so that they continually build on children's thinking skills.