Fledglings Ltd Bredbury

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children have many opportunities to explore and gain new skills in the well-resourced learning environments.

For example, children and staff sit in cosy areas reading favourite stories, such as 'Dear Zoo', which entices children to repeat words and phrases. During focused activities, children enjoy listening to a story about the life cycle of a frog as they explore the textures of pretend frogspawn. This helps them to consolidate their learning and gain a wide vocabulary.

Staff are nurturing in their approach and want the best for every child. They make very effective use of home visits to help build a relationship wit...h children from the onset. All staff do their utmost to ensure children are settled and assured.

As a result, children and babies are happy and thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. Children are kind and show consideration towards others. For example, they speak quietly because they know some of their friends do not like loud noises.

A strength of the nursery is how well staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff think carefully about what children need to learn and in what order. They work tirelessly to ensure that children with SEND get the right support to help them succeed.

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

Leaders and managers create a caring environment for both staff and children. Staff say they enjoy working at the nursery. All staff and managers work well together, which provides a happy environment for children.

This is reflected in children's smiles and eagerness to explore the exciting resources on offer. This view is also shared by parents, who comment that 'the nursery provides a loving and caring environment'.Children develop a can-do attitude as they navigate the balancing beams and obstacle course in the outdoor play area.

Leaders have also used early years pupil premium funding to support outdoor learning. This means disadvantaged children benefit from lots of outdoor play opportunities, which enhance their big-muscle movements and physical development.Leaders and managers have introduced a 'sequenced curriculum' that is ambitious and provides children with a good range of opportunities for learning.

However, at times, some staff do not know exactly what children need to learn and in what order. As a result, they do not consistently provide activities that build on what children know and can do. For example, children are sometimes encouraged to complete activities where the intentions for learning are not pitched at the right level.

This does not fully support children's individual learning needs.Despite minor gaps in the curriculum, this is not the case for children with SEND. The nursery's special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is highly skilled and works harmoniously with staff.

The SENCo uses a raft of support and strategies to make sure that children with SEND benefit from a bespoke curriculum. For example, she supports staff to make sure that learning intentions are broken down into smaller sequenced steps. The SENCo also ensures that barriers to learning are removed.

As a result, children with SEND make optimum progress. Parents are delighted. As explained by one parent 'my child has gone from being non-verbal to speaking sentences.'

Staff use knowledge from training to support specific aspects of children's learning. For example, following recent training on behaviour management, staff introduced strategies to help reinforce positive behaviour. This works very well in practice.

During the inspection, as two children began to squabble over a coconut, a member of staff sensitively intervened and offered support. As a result, children managed this minor conflict and agreed to share the coconut. Children throughout the nursery are genuinely thoughtful and show consideration towards others.

This positive attitude helps them to learn well.Mealtimes are a pleasant experience for children. Staff and children sit together and devour the wholesome meals provided.

Children also use cutlery that is appropriate for their stage of development. This experience enhances children's good social skills and physical development. For example, older children take responsibility as they carefully pour their water from the glass jug and hand out plates to their friends.

They enjoy this responsibility. Several parents commented that their children, who are 'fussy eaters', are now willing to try new foods.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Children's safety is of great importance. Leaders ensure that staff are thoroughly inducted and understand the nursery's policies, such as the rules for using social media. If there are any gaps in the nursery's procedures these are addressed immediately.

For example, during outdoor play a child was not in sight of staff for a very short period of time. Although the child was in an enclosed area and safe, leaders acted responsibly. They tightened the procedures for supervising children during outdoor play.

These procedures work effectively in practice and help to keep children safe. Staff have a sound understanding of child protection matters and the action to take should they have a concern about a child's welfare.

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 embed the intended curriculum securely and consistently across the nursery nimprove staff knowledge of how children learn to enhance the teaching of the curriculum.

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