Hopespring Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Managers have worked exceptionally hard to address the actions raised at the previous inspection. Together with the local authority, they have developed action plans that have been swiftly implemented.

This has led to a complete overhaul in areas such as safeguarding practices and training for staff, including paediatric first aid. As a result, the quality of care provided for children is good, and staff morale is positive. Future plans are ambitious and a clear vision is in place to help raise the quality even further.

Staff are positive role models and they have high expectations of children. They help to build child...ren's confidence and self-esteem through praise and encouragement. Children show through their behaviour that they feel happy, safe and secure in the nursery.

They follow the rules of the nursery, and are kind and respectful in their interactions with their peers and adults. Staff enjoy their work and this helps them to provide a welcoming and happy environment. Children have a wide range of opportunities to respect and understand the similarities and differences of people in the wider world.

Staff listen to children, treat them as unique individuals and encourage them to share their cultures and traditions.

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

The designated lead person for safeguarding has a secure understanding of her role. She has completed a child protection course and provides ongoing training and support to ensure that all staff understand the nursery's safeguarding policy and procedures fully.

Staff are vigilant and understand their role to report any issues to keep children safe.Staff use appropriate strategies to support those children who speak English as an additional language. Children have opportunities to hear and use their home language during their play.

Staff introduce words in English to extend children's vocabulary.Children enjoy a range of activities that support their physical development. For example, children try balance beams and ball games outside.

Other activities, such as sand and water, are set up to excite children's imaginations. Children show good levels of concentration as they dig, mix, pour and build.Parents speak highly of the nursery.

They say that staff are 'welcoming' and 'caring' and get to know their children well. They appreciate the high quality of care and the wide variety of learning experiences provided for their children.Effective partnerships with a range of professionals are continually improving staff's knowledge of how to support children, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Children benefit from a well-organised and clean environment. Staff are strongly committed to maintaining a high standard of hygiene throughout the nursery and promote good personal hygiene habits with children.Staff note children's interests and provide them with a range of stimulating activities.

For example, children have opportunities to explore the texture of soil as they search for insects.Children gain effective skills to support their future learning. They are independent, for example they choose their own play and find their belongings with confidence.

They competently put on their own outdoor shoes and coats.Children develop their creativity as they design and build models. They use their thinking skills effectively to solve problems, such as how to create a bridge with wooden blocks.

The manager aspires to make further improvements to the outdoor environment. However, plans to develop the outside learning space even further have not yet been implemented.The manager and staff evaluate practice effectively.

They hold discussions to reflect on how well activities motivate children. This helps them to keep children engaged in their learning experiences to support them to make good progress. However, recently introduced systems for planning are not fully embedded to be able to be used precisely to support children in making more rapid progress.

Since the previous inspection, the manager has been proactive in implementing new systems to monitor staff practice, such as observations and supervision meetings. However, these systems are still in their infancy and are not well embedded across the whole staff team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good understanding of child protection procedures and know what to do if they are worried that a child may be at risk of harm. This helps them to support children's welfare effectively. Managers and staff carry out thorough risk assessments.

They make sure that children are safe when playing indoors and outdoors. Recruitment and vetting procedures are robust.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: continue to develop the outdoor area so that children who prefer to learn outdoors have greater opportunities to explore the natural world and benefit from a wider range of activities to develop their physical skills nembed and continue to refine the recently introduced planning systems and support staff in meticulously planning what children need to learn next, to help them make even greater progress nembed the new systems to monitor staff practice and help raise the quality of practice to the highest achievable levels.