Hungry Caterpillar Day Nurseries Ltd - High Wycombe

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thrive at nursery. Children new to the nursery receive very effective support to help them settle, enjoy and learn.

There are warm and trusting bonds between children and the kind and caring staff. These are evident throughout the nursery, and especially so in the baby room. Here, children look to familiar faces for cuddles and encouragement, and receive these in abundance.

This effectively builds their sense of security and confidence to explore and play.Children benefit from a curriculum that is well planned and ambitious. They learn through a well-considered mix of adult-led experiences and child-initiated ...play.

As a result, children are being taught new skills they can then practise in their own play. All children make good progress and are ready for the next stage in their learning. There is a strong focus on supporting children's language and independence skills.

The impact of this is seen in how confident children are to share their ideas, look at books and carry out age- appropriate tasks for themselves.Children behave very well. They know what is expected of them because routines are consistent, and staff give clear instructions.

This adds to the busy, yet calm and orderly environment. The nursery is full of children thoroughly enjoying their learning.

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

Overall, staff promote children's communication skills very well.

Staff hold meaningful conversations with children throughout the day. Staff clearly identify the words they want to teach children through planned activities. For example, staff plan the words they are going to introduce to children as they make dough together.

Children enjoy trying out these words and thinking of other ones they can use to describe the feel and texture of what they are making.Children show they are gaining a real love of books and a knowledge of how stories are structured. Babies confidently turn the pages in board books and bring books to staff and visitors.

They point to pictures and listen as adults read aloud to them. Older children choose favourite stories and remember words and phrases from well- known books.Overall, staff plan days well, so children can engage in meaningful and exciting learning.

However, staff do not always consider the best times to deliver some learning experiences, where children's ability to focus well and not be interrupted is especially important. For example, some story and singing times are planned for times when staff need to check nappies or ask children to get ready for lunch.Children learn well about healthy lifestyles and choices.

Staff sit with children as they eat, talking positively about the nutritious meals and suggesting other vegetables they might enjoy. Staff encourage children to spend plenty of time outdoors and to play energetically. Children enjoy using wheeled toys and sweeping and transporting leaves around the garden.

Children demonstrate a very positive attitude to learning. They are keen to learn and curious to find things out. For example, young children focus hard on working out 'one more than' and 'one less than' as they recite and count with staff.

They carefully put fingers up and down and count with staff. Other young children are fascinated to explore what happens when they mix different ingredients together as they make dough. The use 'trial and error' to work out why their mixtures are too dry or too wet.

Adult to child staff ratios are maintained at all times. However, sometimes qualified or experienced staff are not deployed to best effect. For example, sometimes they carry out domestic or supervisory tasks rather than leading learning experiences or supporting individual children to close gaps in their learning.

Parents are very complimentary about the nursery. They have an accurate understanding of the progress their children make. Parents appreciate the support offered by staff and report this has helped them feel more confident to support their children's learning at home.

For example, some parents tell the inspector that they are now reading and singing with their children at home, because staff have helped them understand how important this is for children's speech and language development.Leadership and management are a real strength of the setting. The manager has a clear vision for the nursery.

She wants children to leave as happy and independent learners and she supports her staff extremely well to ensure this is the case. There is strong support from other leaders within the company. Staff feel valued and appreciated.

Professional development is given a high priority and has a positive impact on staff's skills and abilities to meet the emotional and educational needs of children very well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a secure understanding of child protection matters.

They attend regular safeguarding training to keep their knowledge up to date. They can identify the signs that a child may be at risk of potential harm or neglect and know how to share these concerns, to keep children safe. Staff ensure the nursery building is safe and secure and supervise children closely at all times.

Leaders follow robust recruitment procedures to ensure the suitability of those employed to work with children. They prioritise safeguarding training for staff new to the setting.

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 and timing of some large-group times to ensure children can focus well and get the most from these learning experiences nimprove staff deployment, to make the most of the skills and expertise of qualified and experienced staff, to best support children's learning.

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