Early Start Private Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children settle quickly when they arrive despite the changes made to the drop-off arrangements as a result of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

They are happy at nursery and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure through their positive engagement and attitudes towards learning. Babies and young children respond well to the kind and nurturing manner of staff. They explore the environment with increasing confidence, reassured that their key person is close by.

Older children enjoy investigating the activities and experiences that staff have planned for them. Children are curious and show a willingness to have a go... and try new things. For example, older children delight in mixing coloured water.

They learn to recognise familiar colours and notice the changes when they are mixed together.Children behave well and know what is expected of them. They follow simple instructions given by staff as they help to tidy away toys and resources.

Young children play harmoniously together. They have learned about the importance of sharing and taking turns. Older children show care and concern for their friends.

They enjoy having responsibilities and are keen to help staff with nursery routines. Staff continuously praise children for their efforts, which helps to raise their self-esteem and sense of belonging.

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

The manager and her staff team are dedicated to helping young children achieve.

They continually observe children's learning and record their progress. However, not all staff are confident in planning and implementing a curriculum that successfully sequences children's learning and builds on what they know and can do. On occasions, the most able children are not encouraged and supported to extend their thinking and learning fully.

Children of all ages demonstrate impressive levels of independence. Babies and young children serve and feed themselves with little support. Older children competently pour their own drinks, skilfully chop up their own fruit and spread cheese on crackers.

However, sometimes the organisation of mealtimes in the baby unit means that children wait for prolonged periods. They become restless, tired and distracted.Staff engage in purposeful discussions with children throughout the nursery day.

For example, they introduce new vocabulary, repeat key words and ask open-ended questions. This helps children to develop their emerging language skills and become skilful, confident communicators.Children thoroughly enjoy looking at books.

They seek out their favourite stories and excitedly share these with staff, who read with enthusiasm, modelling language and introducing new ideas. Children show care for books as they carefully turn the pages, pointing out characters and predicting what might happen next. They listen attentively and repeat key phrases and familiar words.

Children's physical development is a key focus at the nursery. Staff working with babies continually promote opportunities for children to pull themselves up on furniture, engage in tummy time and navigate the ample space available. Older children skilfully use wheeled toys and create large structures with wooden blocks.

They demonstrate good control of their muscles as they stack bricks into a tall tower. Children engage in threading activities where they develop their small-muscle skills in readiness for writing.Children who are in receipt of additional funding are supported well.

Funding is used effectively and reflects children's individual needs. Children are developing the skills they need in readiness for the next stage in their learning.The well-qualified team of staff show a genuine passion and enthusiasm for their work.

Staff regularly access training and talk positively about the support they receive during supervision meetings. The manager and room leaders regularly monitor practice and provide staff with feedback about how they can further improve their practice.Parents are very complimentary about the nursery and staff team.

They appreciate the efforts that staff have gone to in order to maintain communication despite not having access to the building currently. Parents describe how staff are 'amazing' and 'awesome', and how they go above and beyond in the care and education of their children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have a clear understanding of how to protect children from harm. They attend detailed training and update their knowledge regularly. Staff fully understand how to share their concerns with the relevant agencies, including the reporting of a colleague's practice in a timely manner.

Staff maintain accurate documentation to ensure that children are able to play in a safe and secure environment. This includes registers, risk assessment checklists, medication and accident records. Staff are deployed appropriately and the required staff-to-child ratios are maintained.

This ensures that children are supervised well. Robust recruitment and vetting arrangements are successful in ensuring staff are suitable to carry out their role.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff to develop their confidence and skills in planning and implementing a curriculum that consistently builds on what children already know and can do nassist staff to implement a successful lunchtime routine that enables children to benefit from an organised, calm and sociable experience.