Horizons Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children and families are warmly welcomed at this inclusive nursery. Staff organise a wide range of experiences for children within the local community to help them to learn the skills they need for later life. For example, staff arrange trips to the dentist to help children learn about oral health and to local shops to help them learn how to buy ingredients for recipes.

Staff model sharing and good manners. They support children to respect their environment and tidy up after themselves. Children behave well and build strong bonds with other children and staff.

Staff support children's language development well. Where ...they identify gaps in children's communication skills, they work with external professionals to provide targeted support, such as organising one-to-one activities to promote two-way conversations. Staff use visual aids to help children who speak English as an additional language learn frequently used words and share stories, rhymes and songs to extend children's vocabulary.

Staff teach children how to play cooperatively. For example, they encourage children to take turns in matching coloured balls to the corresponding colour tray. Children benefit from plenty of fresh air and exercise to help keep them fit and well.

Staff teach them about healthy eating, and children confidently share what they have learned. For example, older children recall that food gives them 'energy' as they play outside after lunchtime. The curriculum is well designed to support children to make good progress from their starting points.

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

The manager organises a curriculum with a focus on developing children's communication, social and physical skills. She works with representatives from the local community and local authority to identify extra opportunities for children to enhance their care and learning. For example, she organises visits to the dentist to help children to understand what happens during a check-up.

Staff use assessment well to identify when a child might be at risk of falling behind. They work closely with parents and other professionals and make appropriate referrals, when needed. The manager spends additional funding the nursery receives appropriately, for example to purchase sensory toys to soothe and calm children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Children generally behave well. However, on occasion, some staff do not make their expectations of children's behaviour clear, or follow up when children do not follow the rules. For example, when children run on the sloped muddy area, staff do not explain the potential consequences of their actions.

As a result, children repeat the behaviour.Staff support children to build their confidence and independence in preparation for school. They encourage children to put on their own shoes, pour their own drinks and cut up their own fruit at snack time.

Staff support older children to attend to their own toileting and praise them for doing so.Staff encourage children to develop a love of books. They share stories with children, who listen closely.

Children of all ages look at books independently, inside and outside, learning to turn the pages one by one.Older children learn early mathematical concepts through play. For example, staff encourage them to count the children at the table to identify how many spoons they will need to ensure they have one each as they make play dough.

Staff working with younger children use the language of size as children play with sensory materials.Staff value diversity and proudly offer care and learning that are fully inclusive to all families. For example, most families speak English as an additional language and, when needed, staff use translators to ensure all parents have the information they need.

The manager organises regular events for parents to come together and build relationships with other families. For example, she invites them to celebrate international day and share their traditional food and cultures.Transitions from one activity to another are mostly well organised to ensure that children are continually learning.

However, at lunchtime, staff do not organise themselves well enough to fully support children's learning and development. For example, they busy themselves fetching items and, due to a lack of space, lean over children as they eat. This prevents effective two-way conversations from taking place.

Parents report that they are happy with the care and education their children receive. They describe staff as 'friendly' and 'amazing'. Parents say they feel well informed about their children's progress and value the support they are given to develop their children's learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to consistently help children to understand the behaviour expectations and the potential impact of their behaviour on themselves and others nimprove the organisation of mealtimes to enable staff to use routines more effectively as a learning opportunity.

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