Gorseway Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are greeted at the door by warm and welcoming staff.

They settle quickly and are keen to explore the activities on offer. Children develop strong, positive relationships with their peers. They also form secure emotional attachments with the staff, who know them very well.

Children demonstrate high levels of curiosity and positive attitudes to learning. For instance, children cooperate together to lift up tree stumps in the outdoor area so they can hunt for insects. They show great enthusiasm when they use magnifying bug hunting kits.

This is so they can observe woodlice, worms and a stag beetle in clo...ser detail. Children respond to the questions staff ask them about the features they notice of the insects they have found. This helps to develop children's descriptive language skills.

Furthermore, children receive support to find out even more about the insects by referring to reference books. They share with friends and adults the new information they discover with great pride. Children behave very well and receive support from adults to develop consideration for one another.

They use sand timers to share resources and take turns when using equipment outside. Children demonstrate they can confidently make decisions and do things for themselves. They wash their hands before snack time and independently use utensils to smooth spread onto crackers.

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

Since the last inspection, the provider has made significant improvements. The manager works closely with her team to monitor the quality of the provision. She has sought support from various professionals to help improve and to meet requirements.

As a result, children receive a good education and care that meets their individual needs.Overall, the manager and her team have established a broad and balanced curriculum. Staff know the children very well.

This ensures that the curriculum they offer focuses on what children need to know next. However, not all staff confidently challenge or fully extend children in their learning so that they raise the quality of education to an even higher level. Despite this, all children securely develop a wide range of skills to equip them for their next stage in their education.

Staff supervise children closely when playing on large equipment and resources. Children receive support to cooperate and learn how to negotiate with their friends. They use large planks of wood and rubber tyres to build their own assault courses.

Children show resilience as they practise developing their physical skills as they walk across the beams and learn to take steps up climbing equipment. They revisit this self-chosen task and persist when they lose their balance. Staff offer help, encouragement and praise for their efforts.

This motivates children to keep trying.Staff expose children to a variety of different experiences to help develop their communication skills and extend their vocabulary. For example, children participate and share their ideas during group circle time, and they join in with simple rhymes and stories.

However, there are some occasional moments in small-group times when children are distracted and lose concentration. Some staff do not react swiftly enough to help children regain focus.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive targeted interventions to help them catch up.

For example, key persons ensure they provide dedicated time to deliver intervention strategies suggested by outside professionals. This is to support children to develop their language skills and help them achieve their highest potential.Very young children have play spaces that have been rearranged to offer them age-appropriate resources and play experiences in a safe way.

They are keen to explore the sensory play opportunities that staff plan for them. For example, children enjoy exploring mini fruit jelly moulds that expose them to textures, sounds and tastes. This ignites their curiosity while using all of their senses.

The provider and her team have developed good partnerships with parents and carers. Parents speak highly of the staff and comment favourably about the nurturing support they receive for their children and themselves.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The provider, the designated safeguarding lead and the staff team demonstrate a secure understanding of how to protect children from harm. They have a sound knowledge of the local procedure to make referrals if they have concerns that a child may be at risk. All staff receive training to help them recognise the signs and indicators of abuse, including domestic violence, extremism and county lines.

Staff use play opportunities to teach children about risks, so they can learn how to keep themselves safe. Staff complete risk assessments and deploy themselves appropriately so that children are supervised effectively at all times.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance staff's modelling of questioning techniques, to further extend children's thinking and problem-solving skills to the highest level plan focused activities more meticulously to enable children to sustain their concentration and make even further progress.