Happy Days Nursery Exeter

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and settled. Younger children benefit from nurturing playrooms where they develop close bonds with staff, who provide secure play areas to keep them safe. Staff help children to develop good self-confidence and to take risks safely in their play.

For example, they provide young children with close support and encouragement to use the garden slide successfully. Children laugh with delight at their achievement and repeat the activity as their confidence grows. Children behave well and develop positive attitudes and social skills.

They form good relationships with the other children in the nursery. For ...instance, children excitedly chase their friends around the garden and create games together, such as building ramps and slopes to push trucks down. They enjoy continuous outdoor play opportunities.

This allows the more-active children to play outside when they choose and as a result, most engage well in their play. Children of all ages learn to manage everyday tasks competently to develop the high expectations staff have of their independence. For example, younger children find their own coats to wear outside.

Staff teach older children effective techniques to put their coats on by themselves and involve children in the preparation and clearing away at mealtimes.

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

The strong leadership team has a drive to develop the quality of children's care and education. Managers and staff continually review and evaluate the quality of the provision.

Staff benefit from regular professional development, such as training and management support. This has helped to develop staff's knowledge, skills and confidence in carrying out their roles effectively.Staff know the children well.

They plan and assess children's learning accurately and provide a good range of activities to support their interests and developmental needs. This includes using specific resources to support any additional learning needs children have. Overall, managers monitor the quality of the curriculum and use of space effectively to ensure all children make good progress.

On occasions, however, staff do not organise some activities as well in order to ensure noise levels do not disrupt children's play. At such times, some children who are involved in quieter play become distracted and lose concentration.Staff provide lots of materials and resources to encourage children's creativity and imagination and develop their own ideas.

Older children make pretend cakes with sand, mud and plants and younger children explore the feel of cooked spaghetti. Children join in singing with great enthusiasm and use their imaginations well. For example, they pretend to be pirates as they sing.

Staff use good teaching skills to support children's learning successfully. For instance, they count with younger children and extend challenges to help older children learn to recognise numerals and shapes to develop their mathematical skills. Staff use effective techniques to encourage children's communication and language development, such as using pictures to help younger children understand songs.

They instigate discussions and ask older children questions to stimulate their thinking and communication.Staff encourage children to choose and lead their play. However, on occasions, some quieter and new children wander around and staff do not try to involve them in the activities in order to motivate them to learn more.

The key-person system is well established and effective. Staff work closely with parents from the start to meet their children's needs and care routines consistently. They involve parents well in their children's learning.

For example, they provide a wealth of guidance and activities for parents to borrow to build on their children's learning and enjoyment at home.Staff follow good procedures to help children develop healthy lifestyles. Children learn good handwashing routines, dental hygiene and enjoy nutritious meals.

Staff follow the procedures efficiently to manage any accidents and illness and to meet children's health-care needs.Children develop a love of early literacy. They choose and look at books independently.

The younger children demonstrate a good understanding of how to handle to books and enjoy using props to get involved in storytelling. Staff encourage older children to create stories together to develop their interest further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Managers and staff have a good understanding of how to safeguard children's welfare. They understand the wider safeguarding issues and risks to children. Managers and staff follow the procedures efficiently and take quick action in the event of any concerns about a child's welfare to help keep them safe from harm.

Staff benefit from training and regular updates from managers to ensure they understand their responsibilities and any changes to the procedures and guidance. Staff review and maintain safe environments for children and supervise them closely as they move around the play areas to keep them secure.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide more support to include quieter and new children in the activities to motivate them to learn even more review the organisation of activities to ensure noise levels do not distract children to help keep them engaged more deeply in their play.