Elmore Kindergarten - Middlewood

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), form strong bonds with staff in this warm and friendly nursery. Staff work well with parents to understand children's interests, needs and routines when they start.

They use this information well to help children make good overall progress from their individual starting points in development. Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including school. For example, they learn to be inquisitive and observant when they proudly identify and count the shoots sprouting from the onions they planted.

Children explain tha...t they need 'sunshine' and 'rain' to grow.Children feel safe and are well behaved. They rise to staff's high expectations and strive to be helpful and considerate to others.

For instance, children enjoy their role as lunchtime monitors. They count out the place settings and help other children to take turns to serve themselves. Children learn to take sensible risks and challenge themselves.

For example, they practise balancing and jumping on the climbing frame they made themselves with tyres and wooden beams.

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

Staff promote children's communication and language skills well overall. They sing songs, tell rhymes and play games, introducing babies to keywords and phrases necessary for future learning.

Staff talk to children as they play. However, sometimes, staff do not take opportunities that present themselves to help children to fully extend, enrich and recall their vocabulary.Children are strongly supported to develop a love of reading.

Staff share well-chosen books with children throughout their sessions. They read stories well to build children's anticipation and engagement. For instance, children love to lift the flaps as they wonder which animal will turn up next in the story 'Dear Zoo'.

Staff provide a useful lending library for parents to share books at home.The enthusiastic manager inspires her staff team to strive for high standards. She is ably supported by her deputy manager and other senior staff.

The manager makes good use of training and supervision arrangements to develop staff's skills and knowledge. Staff make good use of their roles and responsibilities. For instance, individual staff take the lead for areas such as transitions and promoting positive behaviour, to develop teaching and learning throughout the nursery.

Staff strongly support children with SEND. They identify gaps in children's learning and development at an early stage. Staff work closely with other professionals, such as speech therapists, to plan children's future learning.

They use additional funding well. For example, funding is used to develop resources and to enrich children's personal development and knowledge of the world through visits and trips.Staff encourage children's development of a healthy lifestyle and positive well-being.

Children are very actively engaged in planting and growing activities, and this is reflected in the nursery's gardening awards from the Royal Horticultural Society. Children learn about the importance of keeping their teeth clean and washing their hands carefully. They benefit from the well-planned, nutritious snacks and meals that are provided.

Staff have a positive impact on children's personal development and good behaviour. They work closely with parents to understand children's needs and interests and how they change over time. Staff warmly praise children's achievements and help them to understand and manage their own feelings.

For example, children create pictures that express their emotions and are stimulated by the story of 'The Colour Monster'.Staff promote children's physical development well. For instance, children build muscle control in their hands as they peel and carefully place small, shiny stickers to create their dinosaur pictures or shake their musical instruments.

These skills support their later writing development. Children are regularly active and love to dance, jump and climb, indoors and outdoors.Parents strongly recommend the nursery.

They appreciate the warm and kind nature of all staff. Parents recognise the care staff take to keep them fully informed about all aspects of their children's learning and progress. Parents are very appreciative of the care and support their children receive.

They welcome the regular information on their children's success and progress.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The designated safeguarding lead supports staff to ensure that they have a full and up-to-date knowledge.

She makes sure that staff are trained and that their safeguarding knowledge is regularly reviewed through supervision, discussions, quizzes and staff meetings. Staff have a good understanding of how to care for children and keep them safe. They are aware of changes to children's emotions or behaviour that is suggestive of a concern.

Staff know how to record safeguarding information and to whom concerns should be reported. Staff are vigilant and support children to play and learn safely.

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 take all opportunities to help children extend and recall a wide and rich vocabulary.