Harlequin Childcare

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children flourish in this exceptional nursery. They receive high-quality care from the attentive and caring staff.

Leaders and staff promote a joint passion and dedication to providing the best possible care and education for all children. Children become deeply engaged in the abundance of activities available to them. Children eagerly share their thoughts about experiences and say what they like to do at nursery.

They take visitors on a tour to show them the resources. Children point out their artwork of light and dark circles, explaining that the artist believed 'everything starts with a dot'. Children's behav...iour is exemplary.

They show kindness and consideration for each other, and this results in high levels of well-being. Staff show the utmost respect to children and each other. They seek permission from babies before changing their nappies and allow young children to make their own play choices.

Children are impressively self-sufficient and develop a can-do attitude from an early age. Babies feed themselves and younger children wash their own hands at snack time. Older children put their shoes on and fasten them with ease.

Staff empower children to carry out small tasks, which helps to prepare children to start school with confidence.

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

Highly experienced leaders share their ambitious curriculum with all staff. The management team is visible in the nursery, which enables them to really know what is happening.

They constantly reflect and check children's progress. Staff provide an inspiring sequenced curriculum, building on what they know children can do and what they need to learn next. As a result, children are wonderfully engaged and focused on learning.

Staff use books and stories exceptionally well. Children develop a love of words and show excellent concentration as they listen to frequent, animated story reading. While reading a book about finding the perfect pet, babies giggle with delight as staff tickle them with a soft toy monkey.

Children immerse in a language-rich environment. Staff expertly build children's speech and language skills through meaningful conversations. Staff show a genuine interest in what children say.

Children share experiences from home and recall what they know. Staff provide exciting opportunities to encourage children's speech. For example, children enter a 'crime scene' to decide 'who done it?' Children talk about the clues they find, engage in lively conversation and share ideas to solve the crime.

Staff are extremely passionate about the use of mathematics as they weave this into many activities. Babies learn about proportion as they successfully explore wooden blocks ranging in size. Staff embed concepts to enable children to move to the next stage.

For example, as older children make patterns using 2D shapes that fit together, they talk about 'tessellation'.The outside area provides a high-quality, rich environment for children to explore and learn in. The staff encourage children to strengthen their muscles as they climb ladders, master an assault course and play a spontaneous game of cricket.

Staff know this helps children to develop the ability to progress on to making finer movements and eventually making marks and the start of early writing.Parents are exceptionally positive about the manager and staff team, who are always approachable. They comment their children are thriving and eager to come to nursery.

Parents feel they are extremely well informed about their children's learning and know how to support this at home.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are quickly identified and supported. Detailed care plans and working with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, allows children to have expert support.

This helps them make excellent progress.Management has high regard for staff. Staff receive regular and relevant supervision, and extensive opportunities to attend training to further their skills.

As a result, staff's knowledge is consistently built over time, which translates to the high-quality teaching for the children. Staff report high levels of support for their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager ensures all staff's knowledge is up to date. Staff have a clear understanding of a wide range of safeguarding issues, including child exploitation. Staff follow the effective policies and procedures in place and know what steps to take if they have any safeguarding concerns.

The managers and staff know where to report any concerns should there be an allegation made against a member of staff. Children learn to think about their own risks under the close supervision of staff. This leads to children quickly developing an understanding of how to identify risk and keep themselves and others safe.