Happi Feet Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

All children arrive happily and settle well.

They enjoy the busy but calm environment and chat to staff and each other as they eat breakfast. Staff create a warm and welcoming atmosphere where children develop confidence and become familiar with newer members of the team. Parents do not currently come into the setting due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

Therefore, this supportive start to the day helps all children and babies to settle well. The provider sets high standards for what children can achieve, including disadvantaged children and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All... children seek out and become deeply involved in a good variety of inviting, interesting and stimulating activities.

They learn the expected behavioural boundaries and staff continually support and praise children who are learning to share and take turns. Older children are kind and considerate towards others. For example, as they confidently use the slide, they tell others that they will hold their hand to keep them safe.

The provider has clear intentions for what she wants children to learn. She works alongside her staff, who bring her aims to life in the activities and learning experiences they provide for children. Together, they help all children to feel safe, confident and self-assured, so they make the best possible progress.

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

The provider has reflected and worked hard since the last inspection to improve the quality of provision. Despite staffing difficulties during the pandemic, she has effective systems in place to strengthen key-person systems and provide children with continuity. The provider's recruitment processes and induction of new staff are effective.

Staff benefit from regular supervision, training and support to improve their practice.Staff understand what the provider wants children to learn. They are currently settling children who are new to the nursery and other children following disruptions to their lives due to the pandemic.

Children with SEND have made rapid gains in their self-confidence and in developing trusting relationships with staff. The team works well together to help all children feel safe and secure and ready to learn. Occasionally, staff do not warn children when the activities they enjoy are about to end in order to help prepare them for changes in routine.

Staff engage children in exciting activities that encourage their curiosity. For example, babies join in as staff sing to them. They respond confidently by rocking, clapping and humming along.

Older children enjoy choosing unknown objects from a box and discovering what these are and how they work. They learn to press buttons to turn a torch on and off and discuss the numbers on a handheld radio. Some staff are not as confident as others at encouraging older children's mathematical skills.

For example, they do not extend ideas beyond what children already know, as they count forwards and backwards, in order to provide further challenge.Children across all areas of the nursery experience a language-rich environment. Staff ask children interesting questions and engage them in many songs and stories to develop their communication and language skills.

Toddlers pronounce words, such as 'bicycle', correctly as they hear and repeat familiar and new words. Staff help children who speak English as an additional language to hear and use words in their home languages. All children confidently communicate their needs and interests as they play and learn.

All staff are good role models who help children learn how to behave well, share resources and take turns. Children spend long periods of time happily engaged in their favourite activities. Older children develop a good sense of responsibility for their own safety, for instance, as they move around the outdoor area on wheeled toys.

Staff help them to learn the importance of good hygiene. Even babies begin to learn the correct steps needed for washing and drying their hands. Older children know and follow this routine with little prompting.

The provider and staff work well with parents. Staff monitor children's development well and share information with parents to help inform the next steps needed in children's learning. Parents say that they feel their children are happy and well cared for and know what their children have been doing each day.

Staff follow the advice of other professionals to help meet children's individual learning and development needs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The provider uses risk assessment well to ensure that the premises are safe and hygienic for children.

Staff understand the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. They also know the reporting procedures to follow, including where they have concerns about the behaviour of a colleague. The provider encourages staff to complete regular safeguarding training updates to ensure their knowledge remains current.

The staff team is vigilant regarding children's health and safety. Staff help all children to learn about keeping healthy and safe in a range of situations.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide even greater focus on implementing curriculum aims for personal, social and emotional development, particularly to help children prepare for changes in routine strengthen staff's confidence in providing more opportunities to challenge and develop older children's mathematical skills.