Fatima Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff adopt a nurturing approach to children. They warmly welcome them on arrival and help them to feel safe.

Children quickly settle into activities and discussions with staff and enjoy these close bonds. Staff skilfully support each child to talk and communicate. They use daily routines such as meal times and hand washing extremely well to reinforce learning.

Children delight in singing as they wash their hands and tidy up. Children are curious learners and eager to take part in activities and new experiences. Staff often use books as a base to spark children's interests and carefully plan and sequence activities aro...und the story to help children learn.

For example, children recall the story of the 'Three Bears', as they mix oats with water and consider size and quantity. Children are inspired and independently adopt roles in the role-play area as they negotiate and act out the story. All children, including the youngest and those who speak English as an additional language, show high levels of engagement during circle time and sing with enthusiasm as they use instruments.

Staff place a high focus on including mathematics and literacy through many of the activities they provide. For example, toddlers enjoy recognising numbers as they play with dinosaurs in the sand and water. The older children learn about phonics and learn to write their names.

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

Significant progress has been made to address the actions raised at the last inspection. The manager has made effective use of the support and training received from the local authority. This has helped improve the quality of teaching and the use of children's assessment information.

As a result, staff confidently use what they know about children to plan activities that build on their prior skills to help them make good progress.The motivated staff team speak positively about the manager and the support they receive. The manager conducts regular staff supervision sessions and teaching observations to help staff focus on how they can develop their teaching skills.

However, staff professional development remains an area of continued focus to help sustain and build on the good practice achieved.As a result of the COVID 19 (coronavirus) pandemic, staff swiftly identified that many children had fallen behind. This was particularly, in their language, listening and attention, behaviour, making relationships and aspects of mathematics and literacy.

Staff have worked relentlessly to help children catch up in all aspects and, as a result, gaps in their learning are closing quickly.Parents speak very highly of the manager and staff and are particularly impressed by the progress their children make in their communication skills.They value the detailed feedback they receive about their children's development and ideas about how they can support their learning at home.

Staff make promoting children's health a clear priority. They know their families well and give clear messages to children and their parents about living a healthy lifestyle. Staff sensitively teach them about the importance of outdoor play, maintaining a healthy weight, good oral hygiene and limiting screen time.

Children benefit from nutritious meals and know which foods are healthy.Staff are consistent in their approach and help children learn to follow the codes of behaviour in place to keep them safe. Children are happy and confident in their environment and quickly respond to changes in the routine.

Staff focus heavily on teaching children to respect each other and their differences. For example, staff help children value the various languages spoken, listen to a variety of cultural music and taste foods from other cultures. However, children have fewer opportunities to learn about the natural world and living things in the environment.

The vast majority of children attending speak English as an additional language or are bi-lingual. Therefore, supporting children's communication and language is given a high priority. Many of the staff speak the languages spoken by children and they skilfully support children to learn English.

In addition, some parents attend the early language programmes to learn how they can extend their children's language at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager uses robust recruitment procedures to ensure all new staff employed are of good quality and suitable to work with children.

Staff have a clear understanding of child protection and wider safeguarding issues to help promote children's welfare. Any child absences are quickly followed up. During the pandemic each parent received a weekly telephone call to ensure they were coping and to offer support and advice.

Staff work effectively with other agencies to secure the help and support children and families need. The nursery is clean, safe and suitable and all activities are risk assessed to ensure they are appropriate and safe for children.

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 on staff professional development opportunities to help sustain and build on the good quality achieved monitor more rigorously the educational programmes to help identify areas for further development, this is with particular regard to providing increased opportunities for children to learn about the natural world and living things.