Happy Jays Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are warmly welcomed by caring staff who know them well.

They understand the routines of the day, which helps them to settle quickly. Children are helpful towards their friends. For example, they hold each other steady as they climb into the giant tyre to listen to a story.

Staff have a consistent approach towards children's positive behaviour. They offer praise and encouragement, which promotes children's self-esteem and resilience. For instance, as toddlers learn to serve their own food at lunchtime, staff keep encouraging them to use the ladle until they have enough food.

This helps children to feel... safe and secure at the nursery. Children benefit from a curriculum that teaches them the skills and knowledge that they will need as they grow and develop. Staff provide some exemplary teaching moments.

For example, children learn to listen and follow instructions as they search for hidden toy dinosaurs. Older children decipher the clues they are given, while younger children search in areas as staff say they are getting 'hotter' or 'colder' to where the dinosaurs are hidden. Children repeatedly count how many dinosaurs they have collected and say how many are left to find.

This helps children to make good progress in their learning and development, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

The manager has a positive attitude to improving the nursery. Since the nursery's last inspection, leaders and staff have worked tirelessly to improve the outcomes of children's learning and development.

The manager has created a strong team of staff who are enthusiastic and capable of providing exciting and stimulating activities for children to build on what they already know and can do.Exciting storytelling that develops children's love of books and promotes their speech and language is a high priority. For example, children retell the story of 'The Three Little Pigs' outdoors.

They use straw, wood and bricks to create the little pigs' houses. Children have lots of fun as the staff member 'blows down the houses' and children bury the wolf in straw. This helps children to make good progress in their speech and language.

As children play, some staff introduce new and interesting words to extend their vocabulary and language skills. For example, children learn the word 'reverse' as they watch the dustbin workers empty the bins. However, this is not yet consistent with all staff members to ensure that all children's vocabulary skills are extended even further.

Children are encouraged to count and recognise quantities. As children play, staff question them about the size, position and shape of different objects. When children are searching for dinosaurs, they follow clues such as the 'square' window, 'low', 'higher', 'next to', 'on top of' and the dinosaur with the 'long' neck.

Children develop good mathematical knowledge and understanding.Children take part in regular activities and stories that give them the knowledge to understand what is healthy and what is not. They learn to brush their teeth with role-play sets of teeth.

Children benefit from healthy and nutritious meals that are made with fresh ingredients at the nursery. They learn about personal hygiene as they wipe their nose and wash their hands.The nursery special educational needs coordinator is experienced in her role.

She works closely with each child's key person, family, and agencies to ensure that they receive timely intervention and targeted support to meet their development needs. Additional funding is used to ensure that any gaps in learning are identified and support is put in place. This ensures that all children can make good progress in their learning and development.

Staff have accessed a wide variety of training opportunities to develop their teaching skills. Regular supervision offers them time for mentorship and coaching. Areas for future development are identified from staff's interests or developmental needs.

Partnership with parents is effective. Overall, information-sharing is good. Parents can access lots of information regarding their child's progress through an electronic app.

Parents have many opportunities to speak to their child's key person daily or through planned parents' evenings.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff understand their roles and responsibilities to ensure that children are safe and secure.

Robust records are completed and regularly reviewed. This is to ensure that any patterns such as accidents that may require changes are quickly addressed. Staff have a good knowledge of the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm.

They know the procedures to follow and who to contact if they have a concern about a child or the conduct of an adult. Staff complete a comprehensive safeguarding training plan each year to ensure that their knowledge is extensive and up to date.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nintroduce new and interesting words consistently to extend children's language and vocabulary skills even further.