Helena’s Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy their time at this friendly and warm nursery. They form positive bonds with the caring staff and, overall, engage busily in a wide range of stimulating and enjoyable experiences. For example, older children eagerly bake biscuits and younger children enjoy a woodland walk.

Children have formed strong bonds with staff. An effective key-person system helps children feel safe and secure at nursery. They happily leave parents at the door and are eager to join in with activities.

There are good plans in place to help children move from the baby room to the main nursery. This successfully supports children's we...ll-being.Children are well behaved.

They are beginning to understand about boundaries and rules. They share and take turns well. They are becoming independent and capable of meeting their own personal needs.

Older children are gaining skills and becoming ready for starting school. Children spent plenty of time outside building on their physical skills. They are encouraged to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Overall, staff demonstrate a good understanding of how children learn and develop. They provide an abundance of opportunities to enhance children's communication and language skills, such as through books, stories, songs and rhymes. Children listen intently and respond positively to adults and each other.

However, on occasion staff do not recognise when opportunities arise to extend children's learning further.

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

The manager and her team work well together to ensure the smooth running of the nursery. They have a clear vision for the future of the nursery and are ambitious for all children.

However, a more robust evaluation of the quality of the nursery would build on the quality of the nursery even further.Staff complete regular observations and assessments of children's development. They have a clear picture of individual children's progress and work closely with parents to support children's learning at home.

Staff know children well and know how to support their learning and development. They provide purposeful activities that reflect children's emerging interests and help them to build on what they already know. However, at times staff miss opportunities to build further on children's thinking skills by introducing challenge to their play.

Parents provide highly positive feedback on how well their children enjoy attending the nursery. They comment that children often talk about the nursery and staff when they are at home. Parents state they are happy with the service they receive and value the secure, loving relationships which children have built with staff.

Staff communicate regularly with parents about their children's care and learning. They share information about children's progress and interests. This ensures that parents feel well informed about their children's learning and development.

Staff are effective at supporting children's communication and social skills. Staff ask questions, talk about what children are doing and build on their vocabulary. Early literacy skills are well supported.

Younger children are beginning to have favourite songs and join in with actions, and older children enjoys stories and books.Children demonstrate good levels of confidence and self-assurance. For example, they help themselves to lunch and independently put on their coats and shoes.

They enjoy nutritious and well-balanced meals.Children are active and are encouraged to develop healthy lifestyles. They have good opportunities to build their physical skills.

Staff working with babies ensure they have plenty of space to crawl, stand and step, both inside and outside. Children learn what their bodies can do as they run, jump and enjoy 'stretch and grow' sessions. There are ample opportunities for children to play outside.

They play in the garden and explore wooded areas with joy. Staff support children's health and well-being effectively.The senior management team meets with staff regularly and provides effective support to promote their professional development.

They ensure that staff workloads are manageable. Staff report that they enjoy their work. They access a good range of training opportunities, and are encouraged to use their new knowledge to develop their teaching skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The management team is committed to ensuring that staff have a secure knowledge of their role to safeguard children. The designated lead and staff receive regular training and updates and know the appropriate procedures to follow if they need to take action.

This includes knowledge of wider safeguarding concerns, such as female genital mutilation and the 'Prevent' duty. The team has robust recruitment procedures to check that staff are suitably vetted to work with children. Staff deployment is managed well and supports children's safety effectively.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on how children are challenged during activities, to develop on their existing knowledge and skills strengthen the evaluation of the nursery and include the voices of parents and children more effectively

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