Honey Pot Nursery (Childwall)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy interesting experiences during their time in nursery. For example, older children take part in forest school sessions.

They learn how to use tools safely, including bow saws and secateurs. Children visit the nursery allotment and grow their own vegetables. They harvest and eat pumpkins.

Children learn about food that is good for them and how it benefits their health. The nursery has received a food award that recognises the high-quality organic meals it provides for children.Children gain knowledge of how to care for their environment.

They take part in litter-picking activities in the community.... Children learn about recycling and how to save water. They discover how to preserve heat indoors and not waste energy.

These activities help children to respect the world they live in.Children show that they feel safe in the setting. For instance, they talk with confidence to visitors about what they enjoy.

Children behave well and use good manners. They are kind and caring. For example, children share utensils as they play with sand outdoors.

Leaders are passionate about providing the best they can for all children. However, their vision for excellence is not fully reflected in staff's teaching and practice.

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

Leaders and staff work hard to help children to develop good mathematical skills.

As a result, the levels of children's development in shape, space and measure have increased. Staff weave mathematical language through activities well. For example, older children cut up fruits, such as papaya and pomegranate, and staff teach children about halves and quarters.

Older children learn about different mathematical ideas.Children develop good imagination skills. For example, older children are keen to make potions during play outside.

They mix herbs with water and use pipettes to add food colouring. They observe how colours change. Younger children pretend to make cakes with sand.

However, staff do not fully support children to engage in discussions about what they are doing. This does not help children to develop excellent conversational skills.Older children show fascination as they observe workmen drilling in the road outside.

They follow their emerging interests and extend their own learning. For example, they build a drill with construction resources. However, staff do not act swiftly on opportunities that arise.

They do not use high-quality interactions with children to promote outstanding learning.Staff make photograph books that show children with their families at home.They share these with children.

Children bring in photographs of their special people for staff to display. They learn facts about what makes them unique. This helps children to develop a sense of security in the nursery.

Staff are kind and sensitive to babies when they become unsettled. They offer plenty of cuddles and reassurance. This helps babies to settle quickly.

Leaders and staff have embarked on a literacy project. They recognise the importance of promoting children's literacy skills even further. Children access storytelling sessions in the community.

Staff use puppets effectively during storytelling sessions and dress up as characters from books when reading to children. This helps children to engage well and develop a fondness for reading.Staff form positive partnerships with parents.

They share observations of children's learning with them. Parents comment that they are happy with the care provided. They state that they like the range of organic and healthy meals on offer.

Parents are pleased with the extra activities their children engage in, such as yoga and French sessions. All children, including those who are funded, make good progress.The provider is highly qualified.

She is also the manager and has very high aspirations and intentions for children's learning. She employs an early years teacher to help her to support the well-qualified staff team. Leaders provide staff with regular support and coaching.

They help them to promote good-quality teaching. However, leaders do not precisely monitor staff performance enough so that staff deliver teaching of the highest calibre.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are aware of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. They supervise children closely and always maintain the required ratios. All staff have a qualification in first aid and manage any accidents well.

They have access to the nursery defibrillator should there be a need to use it in an emergency. The manager deals with any complaints effectively.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support children further to engage in discussions so that they develop excellent conversational skills nact swiftly on opportunities that arise so children experience high-quality staff interactions which help to promote outstanding learning monitor staff performance more precisely to raise the quality of teaching to the highest calibre.