Junior’s Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children thrive and flourish in the extremely warm and welcoming setting that staff create. They have excellent relationships with staff and each other.

For example, babies receive the utmost care when they become unwell and staff sooth them exceptionally well. Babies therefore develop vitally close bonds with their key person. Older children play together, making very highly detailed plans during their role play on how they can work together to pretend to use digger and dumper trucks.

Staff fully uphold the nursery's ethos and comment that their aim is to provide the best care and education possible for all chi...ldren.Children consistently demonstrate exceptionally high levels of respect for others. For example, older children know that sharing the tea set with their friend will make him happy.

Staff readily praise these actions, which further promotes children's extremely strong sense of their positive behaviours on others. Children access an environment where staff plan rich and purposeful activities and learning experiences for children. The content of the curriculum is extremely ambitious for all children.

For example, young toddlers understand their feelings and animatedly use exaggerated facial expressions to show what a happy or sad face looks like. Staff enable children to fully embrace and celebrate similarities and differences. Therefore, children's awareness of the acceptance of others is excellent.

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

Children are extremely highly motivated to lead their own learning experiences. They show great perseverance and enjoyment at their chosen play. This includes older children working out the best way to build a bridge and toddlers exploring how to use magnets.

Also, babies spend long periods relishing feeling the shaving foam.Partnerships with parents are exceptional. From the outset, staff use every opportunity to fully involve parents in their child's learning journey.

Parents comment about the loving and nurturing environment and cannot praise staff highly enough. For example, they fully value the daily feedback about their child's learning, which they say is never rushed.The manager has an exceptional understanding of the intent for the curriculum and readily shares this with staff.

They then plan to the best effect to implement this and to provide extremely high-quality care and education. As a result, all children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make the best possible progress in their learning.Children become captivated in activities that staff plan precisely in accordance with each child's interest and developmental next steps.

For example, staff caring for toddlers capitalise on children's interest in dinosaurs to skilfully weave what children learn next into each interaction. When older children share their love of princesses, this then becomes the focus for the day. They make crowns and have a princess tea party.

Children develop excellent communication and language skills. Staff use simple sign language throughout the nursery. This enables even the youngest of children to communicate, for example when asking for milk or saying 'please' and 'thank you'.

Older children become completely engrossed in scientific experiments. They use complex words and language to predict and explain possible outcomes. Children squeal with delight as the vinegar reacts with the bicarbonate of soda.

They liken the bubbling mixture to that of a volcanic eruption.The manager fully values the opinions and views of every member of the team. For example, the chef suggested and devised an innovative menu to support children's learning during recent celebrations of books.

The manager gives an excellent focus on staff's well-being and fully embraces and celebrates their achievements. Staff report that they receive extremely high levels of support and mentoring.Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is excellent.

The special educational needs coordinator is extremely passionate about her role. She shows a precise knowledge of those children who need extra help to catch up and how to seek that support. This allows any gaps in learning to close rapidly.

All children develop outstanding physical skills. They relish being in the garden, which staff plan as an extension of the indoor learning environment. They develop excellent skills for their future, including a high understanding of risk assessing.

Staff constantly adapt the physical environment in accordance with babies' and toddlers' ever-changing individual needs. For instance, they strategically place furniture and equipment. This enables babies to practise their new-found skills of pulling themselves to a standing position.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have an excellent understanding of their role and responsibilities in child protection, including the designated safeguarding leads. Staff understand the wider aspects of safeguarding, such as differing cultural practices.

All staff know the procedures they must follow if they have a concern about a child. They also have an extremely secure understanding of the whistle-blowing procedure. The manager has a robust understanding of safer recruitment.

This ensures that staff are suitable to work with children. Children develop an exceptional understanding of safety. For example, even the youngest children learn to crawl up and down stairs with immense care and skill.