Hopscotch Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children happily arrive at the nursery and are excited to see their friends. Caring staff take time to get to know children and their families. Parents and carers are very happy with the support their children receive.

Children establish good relationships with staff and show that they feel safe and emotionally secure in their care. Children behave well and show kindness and respect to one another. Staff deliver a suitably challenging curriculum that supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The owner acts with integrity in using the funding the nursery receives a...nd goes beyond this to provide more support to those children that need it the most. Staff are positive role models and praise children for their efforts and achievements. They are keen for children to enjoy their time at the nursery.

All children make good progress relative to their starting points.The large outdoor area provides children with many exciting experiences and activities. Older children enjoy the opportunity to make lots of noise and different musical notes, as they use a range of tools to tap and scrape the hanging pots and pans.

Younger children are engrossed in 'painting' the wooden shed and fence using brushes with water.

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

Staff work well together to create a nurturing environment for children to enjoy and feel settled in. They provide a range of resources for children to use and provide good support to individual children.

However, some group activities for pre-school children are too long, and as a result, some children do not remain fully engaged and interested in their learning.The owner and manager meet with staff to talk about nursery practice. However, they do not ensure issues identified about staff's workload are consistently dealt with appropriately and quickly.

For example, the current methods of observation and assessment is overly burdensome. It is not always helpful in determining what children know, understand and can do.Recent staff changes have had an adverse impact on the nursery's quality of leadership and management.

The owner has experienced difficulties in recruiting staff to meet her high expectations. She strives to provide good support and care for her staff. However, there is not sufficient monitoring of staff's practice to identify areas for improvement and target inconsistencies in teaching.

Children's physical health is promoted well. Staff plan many activities inside and out. Toddlers enjoy riding on tricycles and show good skill in negotiating their way around.

Older children excitedly run around, finding stones to add to the pile of 'treasure'.The owner has introduced changes to some nursery practice and has listened to parents' feedback. Most parents support the adjustments to the routines.

For example, some comment positively about the provision of cooked lunches for their children. All parents speak highly of the staff's devotion in teaching and caring for their children.Children with SEND receive very good support.

Staff use speech with gestures, symbols and images to encourage communication and understanding with children. Staff work closely with other professionals and parents to talk about the best ways to adapt the curriculum to meet children's specific needs.Staff take account of children's interests and comments made by parents to guide their curriculum.

For example, staff teach children about not going anywhere with someone that they do not know. Children learn who they can trust if they need help and what they should do to keep themselves safe. This helps to build children's confidence and self-esteem.

Children's communication and language is supported well. Staff regularly read story books and children enjoy singing songs and rhymes. Children talk about their likes and what is important to them.

Older children benefit from time in smaller groups and are supported well to improve their listening and attention skills.Children have lots of opportunities to be independent. For example, pre-school children serve their own snack and pour their own drinks.

They tidy up when they have finished eating. Younger children are confident to select resources and choose where to play.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of how to recognise possible signs that a child may be at risk of harm. They have completed training and fully understand their responsibilities. Staff know the procedure for recording and reporting concerns about a child or the conduct of an adult working with children.

They are confident to implement this if necessary. The owner contacts other professionals for guidance and acts promptly on all safeguarding matters. Staff complete thorough risk assessments and report their concerns to management.

Robust recruitment procedures are in place. Staff teach children to play safely with resources and how to keep themselves and others safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the organisation of large group activities in the pre-school room, to support all children to remain fully engaged and interested in their learning continue to review the current methods of observations and assessment to ensure it is not overly burdensome and is more helpful in determining what children know, understand and can do consider ways to increase the monitoring of staff's practice to identify areas for improvement and target inconsistencies in teaching.