Farm Friends

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff provide nurturing care for children. While the standard of education is good, there are some weaknesses in teaching.

The nursery is set on a working farm. Children enjoy learning outside. They develop a good understanding of the world through the stimulating outdoor learning experiences staff provide.

For example, they learn about the life cycle of animals such as turkeys and sheep. Staff are particularly skilled in meeting the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and funded two-year-olds. They work closely with other agencies to help children receive the help they need.

S...taff use the advice of other professionals to adapt the curriculum. This helps children to make good progress from their starting points, including learning how to walk with aids and sit for mealtimes. Leaders use innovative ways to promote children's healthy lifestyles.

For example, they host events for parents to attend to learn from other professionals about the importance of a good diet for children and share tips on nutritious meals children may benefit from.

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

Teaching is of at least a good quality. However, there needs to be a stronger focus on further developing children's already good speaking skills.

Occasionally, some staff do not model language correctly to help children use the correct words to describe items, especially for those who speak English as an additional language.Children's behaviour is good and staff manage this positively. Children learn how to take turns and share.

Leaders have recently been developing the curriculum to help children learn the consequences of their actions on others and to increase children's independence. However, they have not yet fully developed staff's teaching in line with this curriculum intent.Staff supervision is well imbedded.

Leaders regularly observe staff's teaching and meet with them to discuss their personal effectiveness. This has helped to develop aspects of staff's practice, including supporting the leadership skills of new room leaders. However, performance management has not maintained outstanding standards of teaching since the last inspection.

Leaders demonstrate good integrity. They work closely with parents to make reasonable adjustments to the nursery and the care offered to help ensure all children, including those with disabilities, can still access their full entitlement of early education.Care practices are strong.

There is a close link between key persons and parents. This helps to promote continuity of care for children between home and the nursery. Parents spoken to on the day of inspection said that staff offer advice and support to assist them further in managing their children's care needs.

Leaders' evaluation has led to a detailed plan for future development. They have considered the views of other professionals, including a local authority adviser and parents. Leaders have recently taken action to make books more accessible to toddlers.

This supports toddlers to access a range of different books that they can sit and look at, developing skills in how to turn the pages.Staff know children well. They plan varied activities.

Those working with the toddlers provide a range of creative activities, including making marks with chalks on boards. This helps the children to develop early writing skills as they learn how to grasp writing implements. Staff working in the room for 'rising threes' have a strong focus on helping children to develop an understanding of the sequence of events.

They make effective use of pictorial displays to show children what is happening 'now' and 'next'. Staff who work with the babies understand the importance of young children exploring using their senses. They provide a range of different materials for children to touch, taste, listen to and look at.

The oldest children practise their literacy skills with staff. They finish off sentences from familiar stories, recalling rhyming strings. Younger children in the pre-school room enjoy making dough, gaining knowledge of different quantities.

Staff carry out assessments in a way that aids a manageable workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff manage potential hazards on the premises effectively.

The manager works closely with staff on the farm to help minimise any risks to children while they move around the farm with staff. Any accidents that occur in the nursery are recorded appropriately and leaders thoroughly risk assess accidents to help reduce the likelihood of them reoccurring. Staff know how to recognise and report concerns about a child's welfare.

They also understand the procedures for reporting concerns about anyone working on the premises. The designated safeguarding leads keep their knowledge of child protection procedures up to date and regularly access information from the local safeguarding partnership.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the already good-quality teaching in line with the curriculum intent, to accelerate further children's acquisition of personal, social, emotional and speaking skills build on the arrangements for staff supervision to help raise the quality of teaching to an even higher standard.