Green Hedges Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The manager and staff team strive to provide a home-from-home environment where all children and families are welcomed. Children show that they feel happy, safe and secure in the nursery. Staff gather information about babies' specific routines and use this to ensure that their care needs are met.

For example, they are prepared for when babies become tired and have one-to-one time in the quiet, cosy space. This has a positive impact on babies' emotional well-being. Staff work hard to build on children's understanding of the world around them and broaden their experiences.

Older children spend time in the community with... older people and enjoy regular trips out of the setting. They develop a thorough understanding of how to stay safe, such as how to cross the road, and their behaviour is consistently exceptional. The management team is passionate about providing high standards of care and learning for children.

Managers have high expectations for staff and children. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are exceptionally well supported. The manager uses extra funding, in addition to her own investments, to help key staff to develop their specific skills.

For example, staff benefit from visits to specialist centres with children and their families. This promotes continuity for children and helps them to make very good progress. Staff have developed effective partnership working with all those involved with children, such as parents, teachers and speech therapists.

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

Parents are extremely happy with every aspect of the care and learning that their children receive. They feel that the support they receive has made a huge difference to their family and that staff are talented, caring and committed. Staff provide regular opportunities for families to become involved in children's learning and build a strong community.

For example, children enjoy beach days, including a Father's Day beach day, where staff model different activities. Also, mothers attend a special 'afternoon tea' to celebrate Mothers' Day.The manager and staff team work hard to promote inclusion.

For example, they have recently learned how to use sign language to help promote children's communication and language. They built on children's skills and performed the Christmas play in both signs and verbal language to ensure that every child could participate.Staff consistently support children to understand their feelings and how to manage their emotions.

Young children show exceptional skills in their personal, social and emotional development. For example, they ask staff to support them in accessing resources from other children. Children show that they feel reassured and politely ask if they can share.

All children show respect, consideration and acceptance towards each other.Staff provide a wide range of exciting activities for children. They encourage children to become independent learners and choose where they would like to learn.

Children are highly motivated and keen to join in with experiences. For example, they show high levels of engagement outdoors as they choose to explore musical instruments and use mark-making resources in the lodge. However, during some of children's self-chosen activities, staff do not focus their teaching sharply and miss opportunities to develop spontaneous learning.

Staff plan to build firm foundations for babies and extend older children's knowledge to help them prepare for starting school. Babies are supported to develop their physical skills as they have tummy time and staff lie on the floor to model how to reach and grasp for the bells. Young children develop their language skills during small-group work, and staff help them to extend their vocabulary.

Older children thoroughly enjoy their phonics sessions and show confidence in identifying letters and sounds.Staff encourage children to take an active part in their own self-care and become independent. Children have an understanding of the importance of a healthy diet and choose their snack from fresh fruit on offer.

Older children talk about the importance of washing away germs. However, children who do not use the toilet are only provided with baby wipes to clean their hands, as opposed to washing thoroughly with soap and water.The manager is dedicated to promoting staff's well-being.

A member of staff has been appointed as the well-being champion in the nursery and has recently attended mental health first-aid training. Staff are very happy in the nursery and the majority have been in post for several years. They benefit from regular supervision meetings and have online access to a range of professional development courses.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff are very confident to identify, record and report concerns about children's welfare. The manager has developed a range of robust procedures to help staff monitor children closely and pass on their concerns swiftly.

In addition, staff demonstrate a thorough knowledge of whistle-blowing procedures and wider safeguarding issues such as female genital mutilation. The management team completes a rigorous interview, recruitment and induction process. This helps to verify staff's suitability and keep children safe.

Staff help children to learn about being safe. For example, children enjoyed a visit from the local fire service and know how to use resources safely, such as scissors.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: sharpen staff's teaching during children's self-chosen experiences to help children make even better progress towards their individual learning goals consider ways to develop handwashing facilities to help younger children to build on their existing self-care skills and consistently promote good levels of hygiene.