Goulton Grange Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are keen and active learners who enjoy their time at the nursery. Babies show that they are emotionally secure in their attachments with staff as they smile and look to them for reassurance. Children enjoy being creative and imaginative during play, and they actively explore and investigate their environment, particularly the outdoors.

Older children recognise various shapes outside. For example, they point to the farm gate and tell the staff that they can see a rectangle and a square shape. Children use their imagination as they collect sticks and pretend that they are magic wands.

They look on excitedly as t...hey observe the herd of cows being moved to a new field. They hear animals on the farm, copy the sounds and understand that milk comes from cows. Children are curious about the tracks they find in the mud.

They confidently tell staff that they think it was a tractor that made them. Staff teach children about how to keep themselves safe. Children know it is important to listen and respond to the safety rules.

For example, all the children move over to the grass area when they see the milk tanker arriving. Children behave well and develop good relationships with the staff, who give them lots of praise and encouragement. This supports children's emotional well-being effectively.

Older children play and learn well together, such as when they work as a team to set up and dress the Christmas tree.

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

The manager encourages staff's continuous training and professional development. For instance, some staff are currently studying for a higher-level early years qualification.

This has a positive impact on the experiences offered to children.Staff routinely observe and assess children's development. Overall, they make good use of the information they obtain to provide a range of exciting activities and new experiences.

However, at times, the intent of an activity is lost in its delivery, which means that children do not always learn what staff intend them to.Staff promote children's communication and language well. They ask children questions, model language, read them stories and sing nursery rhymes with them.

Staff respond to children's interests and develop language through their everyday experiences. For instance, young children enjoy walks around the farm. They are excited when they see animals, such as cows.

Staff recognise this and promptly talk to the children about where they think the cows are going, and what colour they are. This supports children's thinking and language development well.Staff are attentive to children's needs.

Younger children are provided with gentle support and comfort from their key person. This is particularly supportive of younger children who are new to the nursery. Staff promote children's health with nutritious meals and an abundance of exercise, such as when exploring the farm track and woodland.

Staff encourage children to develop good self-help skills from an early age. For instance, children confidently collect their boots and puddle suits in readiness for outdoor play. Robust hygiene procedures are in place, and children wash their hands and explain why they need to do so.

Staff have high expectations for children to behave positively and respectfully in the nursery. They act as positive role models and encourage children to use manners during the daily routine. Children enjoy engaging in activities and play well alongside others.

They show care and concern for each other and are beginning to develop an awareness of what is right and wrong. Children learn about each other's similarities and differences, through photos and displays.The manager works directly with staff and children.

Overall, she uses this time well to observe staff practice and to give them feedback on their performance. However, the feedback provided is not comprehensive enough to enable staff to raise the quality of their teaching above the good standard already achieved.Changes made to arrival procedures, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, mean that parents no longer go inside the nursery.

Staff have successfully supported children to adapt to this change in routine. As such, children enter happily with confidence. Staff make time to talk and share essential information with parents, who feel included in their child's day.

Parents speak highly of staff and comment positively on the range of learning opportunities on offer, particularly outdoors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager places a high priority on making sure that children are safe.

She has robust recruitment and induction procedures in place and carries out checks to ensure that only those suitable to work with children do so. Staff complete online training, and their knowledge of child protection is regularly updated and refreshed. Staff have a secure understanding of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about children's welfare.

They are vigilant and supervise children well. There are detailed risk assessments in place to ensure that children are kept safe during high-risk activities on the farm and in the surrounding areas.

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 make a clearer link between the intent and delivery of planned activities, to enable them to shape those activities more successfully to the learning needs of children strengthen the monitoring of staff's practice to evaluate critically their teaching skills and to help develop their practice even further.