Horizons Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

The nursery provides a wonderfully homely and safe environment. All the children are happy and excited to learn.

Staff are extremely skilled at providing children with rich and meaningful learning opportunities. The outside area has climbing equipment and slides as well as a natural area for digging and growing. Children enjoy digging and cooking in the mud kitchen.

Inside, children have access to a wide range of resources. Children enjoy playing with real fruit and vegetables in the kitchens, as well as accessing a range of information and communication technology equipment and messy play activities. Staff have... high expectations and are extremely skilled at supporting individual learning.

Staff and parents work well together even before the child has started at the setting. They develop a thoughtful plan to ensure that children settle quickly and are happy to come to nursery. Children quickly learn to become independent and confident in their abilities.

They take pride in their work and share this confidently with other children and adults. Children are kind and caring to each other and spontaneously celebrate each other's achievements. Children behave exceptionally well.

The setting has a high number of children who have English as an additional language. Staff provide exemplary support for these children in a range of creative ways. All children make excellent progress.

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

Managers and leaders have created an inspiring learning culture for staff and children. Staff mentor each other to share good practice and identify ways to continuously improve the already high-quality provision. Staff are highly motivated to ensure children have the best possible start in life.

Children are deeply engaged in learning through well-planned, meaningful experiences. For example, they visited the local shop to buy ingredients for biscuits, including writing a shopping list, buying the goods and counting out the money. Staff used their excellent understanding of child development and teaching skills to make this a meaningful learning experience.

Managers are extremely reflective and supportive of the team. They ensure that staff workloads are manageable and place staff well-being as a high priority, so staff are able to best support the children in their care.Activities are of a high quality and challenge children to achieve new skills.

While playing a game, older children were introduced to a wide range of mathematical and scientific language, such as 'subtraction' and 'counter-balance', and were able to verbalise what they meant.Children for whom English is an additional language are supported exceptionally well and make outstanding progress in a short space of time. Staff take the time to learn about children's home languages and cultures.

They learn songs and key words from parents, as well as adding familiar foods to the nursery menu.The setting celebrates the diversity of the community and skilfully weaves it into all that children do.Staff place a great emphasis on children's emotional well-being.

Children are given the words to help them manage their feelings. Children are emotionally literate and can verbalise their views and wishes extremely confidently, meaning that they listen and look after each other exceptionally well.Children are independent and have high levels of self-care skills.

Staff creatively and sensitively support children so that they grow in confidence and persevere in solving problems. Staff provide children with praise that is specific and helps them to understand the skills they have used to achieve a difficult task.The nursery knows its local community extremely well and ensures that children have the skills and knowledge they need as they grow up.

Managers work in partnership with local schools to ensure that children have the right skills and mindset to start school.The setting supports children through all transitions extremely well. At all times, the child's well-being is paramount.

Moves to new rooms in the nursery are given a high level of consideration to ensure they support the child's well-being. Throughout the day, children are supported extremely well to know what is coming next and given time to finish their play before moving on.Staff are quick to identify children's needs and work in partnership with parents, especially when children have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Funding is used to support children to make progress quickly.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Managers and staff take their safeguarding responsibility extremely seriously.

They are confident in identifying indicators of possible abuse and know how they should report this. They are confident to report allegations against staff and how to escalate this if needed. Staff are aware of the 'Prevent' duty and its relevance in the early years.

Leaders and managers respond to events in the local community to ensure children are kept safe. Detailed risk assessments are completed for activities in the nursery and when on trips in the community. There is a rigorous recruitment process and staff suitability is regularly checked and reviewed.