Early Foundations Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are warmly welcomed into the nursery by a member of staff.

They settle well and form strong bonds with the staff who care for them. Children play in a safe, comfortable environment. The garden is well used in all weathers.

Children go on trips to local parks where they can further extend their physical skills. Staff carefully plan a high-quality environment that supports children to lead their own learning. They confidently choose experiences from a range of well-resourced activities.

Children of all ages regularly engage with messy play activities. For example, babies babbled excitedly as they pushed... their hands into sparkly, lavender scented play dough, while older children learned to chop, cook and mix ingredients to make soup. These activities invite children to engage all of their senses as they learn.

Staff establish clear boundaries to support children's good behaviour. Children are respectful and kind. For instance, older children step quietly on the stairs when younger children are sleeping.

Children are helpful. For example, they lay tables at mealtimes and tidy up when they finish playing. They learn to be tolerant and patient.

Children establish friendships, have fun and make good progress in their learning.

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

Staff have secure knowledge of the early years foundation stage and children's expected level of development. Curriculum planning is comprehensive across the nursery.

This supports high-quality experiences for all children. Staff tailor and extend activities to support children's individual needs. Visual timetables support all children to understand the daily routine, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff are highly skilled communicators and they model language well. They use appropriate questions to support children's early talking skills.Children make good progress from their starting points.

Staff plan activities to reflect children's interests and their next steps in learning. The provider encourages staff to try new initiatives. For example, a recently introduced method to boost listening and literacy is beginning to show a positive impact.

As yet, however, it is not used consistently by all staff.Staff deploy resources and skilfully adapt activities to ensure all children are fully included. Children with SEND thrive in this inclusive environment.

The provider has good links with external agencies that offer additional support to children if required.Parents speak highly of the care their children receive at this nursery. Typically, they say that babies are 'handled beautifully' and their emotional needs are fully met.

Staff keep parents informed about their child's day and progress.Children's independence is well supported. They learn to put on their coats, use a knife and fork, pour their own drinks and manage their self-care.

Staff teach children about road safety when they go on trips to the park or the local library. This has a positive impact on children's personal safety.Children learn about the celebrations and festivals of different cultures.

However, on some occasions staff do not build on children's diverse backgrounds to deepen their understanding of similarities and differences between people.Children enjoy tasty, nutritious food that is cooked on site. The chef has a good knowledge of individual children's allergies and dietary preferences.

Children have access to water, healthy snacks and fresh fruits. They eat well and enjoy their food. They demonstrate their good table manners.

Staff sit with children at mealtimes to support their developing social skills.The provider has effective programmes for staff supervision and development. Group training sessions take place throughout the year.

This keeps staff up to date in areas such as child protection and first aid. Individual members of staff attend training opportunities depending on their needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a secure knowledge of safeguarding. They know how to recognise signs of abuse and the steps to take if they have concerns about the welfare of a child. Their knowledge of safeguarding, including child protection, is regularly updated.

The provider ensures that staff understand wider safeguarding issues, including female genital mutilation and the 'Prevent' duty. Staff know what to do if there is an allegation made against them or another member of staff. Staff use effective risk assessment to maintain a safe learning environment.

Staff deployment is effective. Children are well supervised at all times, including when using the stairs to access the garden.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: continue to build staff's confidence in implementing initiatives to raise children's communication skills nenhance children's understanding of their diverse community.