Harmood Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and motivated learners. Staff form strong bonds with them and their families.

This leads to a warm and nurturing environment, felt throughout the whole setting. The manager and staff are passionate about creating a safe and friendly space for all children and their families. Parents and carers feel extremely well supported and included in their child's learning.

They comment on the caring and motivated staff and the excellent communication that the manager provides. Children make good progress at this extremely inclusive setting. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make st...rong progress and staff respond to children's individual needs and interests effortlessly.

The skilled manager shares a clear vision for the intent of the curriculum with all staff. She meticulously analyses and identifies children's learning needs. The setting establishes exceptional partnerships with other professionals and this helps them to support children with SEND superbly.

For example, staff regularly liaise with professionals and parents to seek advice, review children's progress and set them challenging targets. Children's behaviour is good and they are happy and secure in their environment.

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

Children have countless opportunities to explore and discover in the outdoor environment.

Staff create an interesting and stimulating space for children to support their physical development. Children show great enjoyment at building in the large outdoor construction area, using real-life resources, such as wood, as part of their play.Staff and children have wonderful relationships that help children feel exceptionally safe and secure.

Staff spend a great deal of time learning about their key child and the children's families. For example, home visits are arranged before children start at the setting. These visits allow staff to find out what makes each child special and what children need to learn and discover when they start at the setting.

Staff communicate well with children of all ages. They support children of different abilities to develop their communication and language skills through a range of different activities. For example, staff and children confidently use signing as a way to communicate with each other.

During circle times, staff use a range of different visual aids to support this learning activity, such as puppets and real leaves from the garden.Staff use regular assessments of what children can do to plan next steps in their learning. They use this information to create activities and experiences that will provide children with the essential knowledge they need for future learning.

This enables children to make good progress. They are well equipped and prepared for the next stage in their learning, including school.Staff have a good understanding of the early years foundation stage and, overall, teaching is strong.

They work closely alongside children, narrating what is happening and asking children questions to extend their learning further. However, at times, staff sometimes miss opportunities to further extend the children's learning, especially during routine activities, such as snack time.The manager encourages continuous improvement in the setting successfully.

She maintains a strong focus on ensuring that staff expertise can support further improvements. For instance, regular supervision of staff performance provides a robust programme of training to develop subject knowledge. The manager is extremely passionate about reflecting and evaluating on staff practice and the setting overall.

She has clear and realistic targets and aims for the future.Children benefit from effective and consistent care routines to further promote their emotional security. The manager and staff are excellent role models.

They consistently teach children good manners and excellent hygiene practices. For instance, children enjoy brushing their own teeth, with staff happily singing the teeth brushing song as they do so. Children show great pride in doing things for themselves, such as putting on their own coats and hats when they want to go outside.

Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff regularly share their observations and, together with parents, plan next steps and targets. This allows parents to feel involved in their children's learning and further support this at home.

Parents feel that their children have made good progress since starting nursery.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager ensures that all staff attend appropriate training to develop the knowledge they need to keep children safe.

Staff understand their responsibility to promote children's well-being. They know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about the welfare of the children in their care. Safe and thorough procedures are in place to recruit new staff.

The manager ensures that all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff are vigilant about children's safety and carry out frequent risk assessments of the premises.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: make greater use of opportunities to consistently challenge and extend children's learning and development.