LADN Aveley

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy in this welcoming nursery. They confidently leave their parents and become engrossed in one of the many enticing activities on offer. Children benefit from close relationships with the staff and show that they feel relaxed in their company.

Children are often seen smiling, giggling and joking with the staff as they play. Children have access to fresh air during most of the day, as they move freely between the indoor environment and the garden. They relish the time they spend outdoors.

Children develop their gross motor skills by negotiating their bicycles and scooters around the designated course and... using giant paint rollers to make big pictures together. Their fine motor skills are promoted during activities such as potion making. Children have pestles and mortars that they can use to grind herbs and spices together and then pour into jars.

They have fun smelling each other's creations and deciding what they smell like. Other children take part in a bug hunt, searching the garden and ticking the bugs off on their lists. After lifting the rocks to find the bugs they put them back down carefully.

They explain that this is so they do not hurt the bugs 'as that would not be kind'.

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

The manager has a clear vision of what she wants children to learn and achieve and has high expectations for all children. Staff know the children well and provide a varied curriculum that follows children's interests.

They tailor their interactions with the children around their individual development needs. Staff are effective in engaging with other professionals when required. This ensures that all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children in receipt of additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, make good progress from their starting points.

Children are well behaved. They listen to staff and are kind and caring towards each other. Older children help to teach the younger children how to use equipment such as scooters.

Staff encourage children to share and take turns, and children do this with minimal support. For example, during craft activities, they wait patiently for their friends to finish using the resources they would like to use next. They say 'thank you' when the resources are passed to them.

Children demonstrate high levels of concentration in their chosen activities and are engaged at all times. When children choose to play alone, staff respect this, but check on them regularly to see if they need any support or company. Children spontaneously show affection as they give staff hugs.

Staff respond warmly to the children, thanking them and telling them how the hug has made them feel.Children hear a wide variety of spoken language. Staff who work with babies provide a commentary to their play and introduce simple mathematical language such as 'more' and 'little'.

Staff who work with toddlers and pre-school children use activities to introduce new words to them and explain the meaning of them when required, such as 'concoction', 'delicate' and 'similar'. This helps children to learn new vocabulary and supports their good communication and language development.Staff aim to support children to think for themselves.

They ask children thoughtful questions, but do not always take this further to encourage children to think more deeply once they have answered the original question. This does not help children become confident and independent thinkers.Parents are very positive about the nursery.

They report that their children are happy and settled and that their individual needs are met. They feel the communication at the nursery is effective. They are kept informed of their children's progress and given ideas about how they can support their children at home.

The manager is committed to providing high-quality care and education. She is reflective and evaluates the nursery provision, prioritising areas for further development. Staff receive support through regular supervision and are offered regular training opportunities.

Newly recruited and recently promoted staff receive a detailed induction that helps them understand their role in the nursery.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff team understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe.

They know the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child's well-being and how to report concerns to an appropriate professional. Staff ensure that they complete regular safeguarding training to keep their knowledge up to date. Safeguarding is discussed during supervisions and at staff meetings.

Staff are aware of wider safeguarding issues, such as female genital mutilation and witchcraft. Children are well supervised in both the indoor and outdoor environments to help to ensure that they are kept safe.

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 develop their interaction skills further to extend children's critical thinking skills.

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