Kangaroo Pouch At Great Bridge

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children demonstrate that they feel happy, safe and secure in this welcoming environment. They arrive happily in the morning, separate from their parents without hesitation and are keen to join in activities with their friends. Children share, take turns and are polite.

The kind and caring staff strive to make sure they have fun and enjoy all aspects of their time in the nursery. Children form close bonds with the staff, which helps them to feel emotionally safe and secure. The staff's ability to recognise the uniqueness of each child contributes to the positive experiences and care children receive.

For example, staff... provide rich and broad learning experiences for children who prefer to learn outdoors. Staff have high expectations for children who all make good progress. This includes children whose starting points are below expected levels of development for their age.

The curriculum is implemented well through good-quality teaching. Children learn to manage their own personal needs from a young age. Babies happily feed themselves and select their own toys from easily accessible resources.

Older children put on their wellington boots and coats. This contributes to their self-confidence, particularly in preparation for school. Children develop high levels of self-esteem.

Overall, they develop a positive attitude towards learning.

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

Staff place a high priority on keeping children safe. Accidents are recorded and promptly reported to parents.

Children learn to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn to use tools, such as scissors, safely.Children behave well.

They listen and respond to staff's instructions. Staff give children praise for trying and achieving, which supports them to become confident and eager learners who try new activities with confidence.Staff know the children well and make accurate assessments of their learning.

Managers monitor children's learning and provide swift intervention when they need extra help.Staff help to consolidate and extend children's learning. They ask questions to encourage the children to think and link their knowledge.

They model language well as they join in children's pretend play. However, sometimes, children are distracted from listening to, and concentrating on, adult-led activities due to routines and other activities taking place in the same vicinity.Story times are popular with babies and toddlers, who listen attentively and snuggle up to staff as they read to them.

Staff skilfully use books as a valuable resource to teach children other skills, such as simple addition, as they count objects on the pages. This helps to nurture an early love of books and reading.Outdoors, children enjoy high-energy play in the fresh air.

They proudly demonstrate their increasing physical skills as they negotiate the balancing bars. Indoors, they have fun jumping high and stooping low as they take part in action songs. Babies bounce and sway as they move to music.

However, occasionally, during some whole-group activities, children sometimes wait unnecessarily to start activities and so become a little restless and lose enthusiasm.Managers take the well-being of staff members seriously. They help staff to manage their workload effectively, for example by using an online system for assessment and planning.

The manager uses her skills and expertise to coach, mentor and guide staff. Carefully planned training has a positive impact on the learning experiences for children.Children develop good dexterity and control as they use a range of tools to roll and manipulate dough.

Babies and toddlers are given time and space to explore and investigate a variety of different resources. They become absorbed and focused as they play with toys with flaps and simple mechanisms.Staff teach children to respect each other's differences.

They provide a wide range of activities that help children learn about the wider world.Staff have effective systems in place to maintain a two-way flow of information with parents. This helps to plan a cohesive approach to moving children forward in their learning.

Reflective self-evaluation, which evolves from the views of staff, parents and children, helps to identify areas for development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good knowledge of a wide range of safeguarding issues and how to keep children safe.

They know the symptoms and indicators of potential abuse and have a secure understanding of the procedures they must follow if they have concerns about a child's welfare. Staff have an up-to-date knowledge and understanding of the 'Prevent' duty guidance. They know how to identify and respond to concerns relating to children at possible risk of radicalisation and extremist behaviours.

Managers implement robust recruitment procedures to ensure the suitability of all staff. Staff are deployed well to care for children effectively.

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 activities that take place simultaneously to enable children to listen and concentrate without distraction during adult-led activities minimise waiting times for children to start activities, in order to maximise their engagement and enjoyment.