Heather Rabbit Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Nursery staff offer children exciting, incredibly interesting and stimulating activities and outings that thoroughly promote their passion for learning. Enthusiastic and highly driven staff build on what children already know and can do, to help them acquire the skills they need for their future learning. Children are offered responsibilities for grooming the pony.

They tend to the needs of guinea pigs and rabbits, while at the same time making assessments of risks when they go pond dipping in the care and security of the staff who supervise them. Children behave with the utmost respect for the environment, their friends... and staff. They have extremely positive attitudes to their play and learning.

Very happy children sustain high levels of engagement and curiosity as they play. They use reference books with support from staff, while looking at fossils as they broaden their understanding and awareness of the natural world. Children are extremely inquisitive.

They compare the fossils and differentiate that a tooth bone from a horse is very different to that of a human. Excellent use is made of the surrounding woodland areas. Children thoroughly enjoy walks, which spark imaginations and discussions.

For example, children equate fallen trees to a crocodile, snake or even the Gruffalo as they recall a favourite story. They balance on logs, measure puddles with sticks and assess if areas are too slippery as they demonstrate excellent physical development negotiating the muddy terrain.

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

The manager is exceptionally conscientious.

She is an excellent leader who has very high expectations for all children. The manager has an extremely good knowledge and understanding of what her staff do well and the impact they make on children's learning. Highly effective support and team working mean that staff are incredibly happy.

All staff are long-serving. They state that the setting is unique and that they love working there.Parents speak positively.

They explain that they know their children are safe. Parents state that children are provided with a 'homely' environment and the freedom to make choices. They add that they are supported very well and enabled to be confident to extend learning at home.

Staff implement all aspects of the early years foundation stage securely. They make focused observations and use accurate assessments to demonstrate the rapid progress children make. Staff have an extensive awareness of children's capabilities and plan highly effectively for children's next steps.

An exceptionally strong focus is placed on helping children acquire communication skills. Staff are excellent role models who help children articulate what they are saying and use the correct context, meaning and tense as they speak.Staff instigate many fun ways for children to develop physically and acquire dexterity.

They achieve this, for instance, during a 'play dough disco', where children use their limbs and muscles to build the coordination that supports them in the future. For example, for when holding a pencil and in their emergent writing skills.Skilful staff facilitate children's independence and problem-solving skills very well.

This is demonstrated during activities outdoors as children use a broad range of apparatus to fetch and transport water, add soap and clean their resources. They fill buckets, negotiate ramps, assess the safety of their routes and work as a team to accomplish their freely chosen task. Children respectfully listen to the ideas of friends and take these into account.

They have huge amounts of fun as they line up any vehicle they find on the large-scale track. Children demonstrate excellent mathematical awareness. They count as they play and confidently announce they have more than 100 vehicles.

Inspiring staff help children to build an interest of literacy and a love of books and films. Highly confident children can recall the context of films they have watched, what happened to the characters and why. Children listen to stories with intrigue and fascination.

For example, they display their excitement and enjoyment when listening to the manager expertly using effective tone and voice as she reads eloquently 'The book with no pictures'.The manager and staff have been highly successful at helping children build an understanding of families, community and diversity. For instance, after identifying that many children have younger grandparents, staff implemented outings to visit older people in the community.

This has impacted extremely well on how children perceive age and understand ageing and appreciation of diversity.Children show consistently high levels of self-confidence. During group discussions, children listen attentively.

They are very keen to ask and answer questions. Children are incredibly motivated to play and join in with the ideas of others. Relationships between staff and children are exceptionally good.

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at nursery and feel safe and emotionally secure.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The provider has highly effective systems in place for recruitment and maintaining the ongoing suitability of staff.

Her highly skilled workforce have an exceptional range of knowledge and backgrounds. They utilise training opportunities to ensure they update their skills on a regular basis. This includes all aspects of safeguarding matters and legislation.

Staff know what to do and the procedures to follow if they had a concern about a child, or if they had a concern about a senior staff member. Staff competently use and implement the provider's policies, procedures and risk assessments. All staff hold paediatric first-aid training qualifications.