Fernbank Nursery Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive with enthusiasm. They enjoy a warm, friendly greeting by the staff and show that they feel happy and safe.

Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging as they hang up their things and settle in quickly. They choose independently from the selection of high-quality, age-appropriate resources that are planned well to meet their interests. Staff use effective methods to help children learn about expectations of behaviour.

Children learn to wait patiently for their turn. For example, they listen for their name to be called before they retell parts of the story during group time. Children play cooperativ...ely together and behave very well.

The manager and staff have high expectations of themselves and what children can achieve. They establish strong partnership working with parents. Bilingual staff help to translate and promote effective information sharing with parents.

They make suggestions for activities to promote what children need to learn next. Parents praise the staff for sharing ideas to help encourage children's independence and self-care skills. For example, they help children to learn to put on their own coats and gloves.

Parents say that staff teach children to hold a pencil correctly and encourage mark making at home. This helps children to develop key skills they need, ready for their move on to school.

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

Children are provided with experiences that they may not otherwise have access to at home.

For example, they develop a good understanding of the positive impact animals can have on helping others. They learn about the role of guide dogs to help people who are visually impaired.Additional funding is used effectively.

For example, the manager has recently purchased storyboards to help develop children's confidence in their speaking and creative play. However, staff do not maximise opportunities to help children to listen to new words and develop their own language skills even further.Children develop good coordination as they participate in a range of physical activities and play with vigour and enthusiasm.

For example, they move their bodies expressively to the rhythm of the music. Children do star jumps, step from side to side and rotate their elbows in the air.Children thoroughly enjoy exploring and experimenting.

Staff point out the patterns and encourage children to feel the ridges that they make with the comb in the sand. However, at times, staff do not use purposeful and challenging questions to support children's learning even further.Staff promote children's mathematical skills well.

Children work out how much wrapping paper they need to wrap presents and describe different colours and shapes they see.The manager has an effective programme of staff support, monitoring and training. She helps staff to identify their own strengths and areas for improvement.

For example, following training, staff know how to promptly identify any gaps in children's learning. They understand the procedures to follow to seek additional support from other professionals. This helps to promote a consistent approach to help children to make good progress.

Staff teach children how to make healthy choices and recognise food that is healthy. Children learn to wipe their own nose and know to dispose of the tissue in the bin. They look in the mirror as they wash their face and know that they need to wash their hands to wash away the germs.

Children learn about other people and communities that are different from their own. They sing carols and act out the nativity story for the Christmas concert. Children take part in other activities that teach them about celebrations, including Eid, Easter and harvest festival.

They participate in charity fundraising events and develop a growing understanding of the local community.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a robust and confident understanding of how to identify any concerns about a child's welfare or safety.

They know the procedures to follow to safeguard children and how to respond to an allegation against a member of staff. The staff help children to develop a growing understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they teach them how to use cutlery and scissors with care and to tidy away the toys, to prevent tripping hazards.

Staff supervise children as they take manageable risks in their play. Children are confident and develop competency as they learn how to climb safely on the large play apparatus.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide more opportunities to help children to listen to new words and develop their own language skills even further nuse more purposeful and challenging questions to support children's learning even further.

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