Keep Guard Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happily and eager to start the day. They separate from parents with ease as they are greeted by kind and nurturing staff.

Children settle quickly to their chosen activity. They know what is expected at nursery and behave well. For example, older children explain to visitors how to safely cross the car park to play in the outdoor area.

When children need support to meet behavioural expectations, they receive clear and consistent messages from staff. Children listen and follow simple instructions, understanding that these will help to keep themselves and their friends safe.Children are confident talkers, ...who are keen to share their ideas.

They join in with staff as they sing songs and follow the actions. Children become intrigued as they explore how the paint runs down the brushes and their arms. Staff encourage children to think how they can make it less runny, giving them time to test out their ideas.

Older children welcome the involvement of staff in their imaginary play. They pass telephones to staff, telling them who is on the line. Children wait in anticipation and listen intently to the imaginary conversation staff have.

They giggle when staff ask if Peppa Pig has a poorly curly tail and respond by booking an appointment to see the veterinary surgeon.

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

Insightful and experienced leaders provide staff with a clear curriculum that helps children build on what they know and can do. Staff implement the curriculum well, following children's lead in play and building on their emerging interests.

Over time, children gain the key skills they need to support the next stage in their education and for life in modern Britain.The manager and staff team effectively consider how to close gaps for children, who start the nursery with less experiences than others. Additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is used effectively.

For example, staff provide children with dedicated time and support each day to become immersed in books and stories. This helps them to establish a broad vocabulary and to strengthen their understanding of the world around them.Leaders place a high priority on helping children to develop a love of books and build the foundations to support their literacy skills at school.

They have established a library within the nursery to enable children to continue to borrow books when they could not visit the public library, such as during the COVID-19 lockdown periods.Parents are very positive about the nursery and staff. They say that they feel involved in their children's learning and feel that support over aspects, such as toilet training, helps to reduce stress at home.

Staff notice and act quickly when children need additional support. The special educational needs coordinator is highly qualified and experienced to support staff to implement targeted interventions that enable children to make progress in their learning and development.Leaders cascade relevant training they have experienced on local courses to help strengthen the quality of education for all.

For example, clarification of sequencing has helped staff develop a deeper understanding of the curriculum. Staff receive regular supervision meetings with senior staff. This helps to maintain a broad overview of staff performance and well-being.

Staff comment that their workloads are manageable and that they feel well supported to fulfil their roles and seek additional professional qualifications.Staff working with babies do not always adapt practice and nursery routines well enough to ensure babies' needs are met promptly. They do not always notice when babies are more tired and hungry and bring forward an earlier lunch.

Although babies learn the routine to wash their hands before they eat, this sometimes results in them sitting and waiting too long for food. Some babies become unsettled.Sometimes, children are not able to join some activities, including the play dough table, because staff limit the number of spaces.

As a result, children who have enthusiastically chosen to explore and experiment are turned away, with an offer to return later. However, this stifles spontaneous discovery and children's curiosity is diminished, reducing opportunities to extend and inspire children's learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure all staff receive regular training about child protection and safeguarding. Staff confidently identify the possible indicators of child abuse and know what to do should they have any concerns about a child's welfare. They receive regular updates about safeguarding issues and discuss these at staff meetings to keep their knowledge current to keep children safe from harm.

Leaders follow robust recruitment processes that help to assure the suitability of adults working with children. Staff demonstrate a thorough understanding of the nursery's whistle-blowing processes and wider safeguarding concerns, such as the risks to children of being exposed to extremist views.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff working with babies understand how to ensure babies' needs are promptly met support staff to enable children to follow their spontaneous interests and choices of activity without unnecessary restrictions.