Little Angels Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff are caring and loving towards children. They know the children extremely well and take time to build relationships with their families.

As a result, children have forged strong bonds with the staff. For example, babies excitedly hold out their arms to their key person when they see them. Staff have created a happy and safe environment for children.

The manager and staff have clear curriculum aims for all children. They know how to support the most-able children and those who have gaps in their learning. Staff focus on children's interests and monthly topics when planning for their next steps, and this helps child...ren to be engaged and to progress in their learning.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who learn English as an additional language, make good progress from their starting points.Staff plan exciting activities, and this helps children to naturally develop positive attitudes towards learning. Children understand the rules of the setting, show kindness and behave well.

They develop skills, to help prepare them for the next stage in their learning. Children are physically active outdoors and benefit from a healthy and nutritious diet. This promotes their good health.

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

The curriculum is well designed and shows the sequence of intended learning for children to help prepare them for their future learning and the eventual move on to school. It is adapted well to meet the needs of children who currently attend. Overall, staff provide positive interactions while children play.

However, teaching can be quite broad and does not focus on extending what children already know to enhance their learning further.The provision for children with SEND is effective. Staff liaise well with parents and other agencies to ensure that these children receive the support they need.

Staff clearly focus their plans and interactions to include the specific learning for these children and ensure their needs are met. For instance, staff support children's language skills very well, they use objects of reference and encourage children to make choices to support their communication development.The manager uses supervision sessions effectively to identify staff's strengths and training needs.

Staff have regular opportunities to update their skills and extend their knowledge. For example, recent training to support staff's understanding to promote children's mathematical development has shown an increase in children's understanding of size, shape and counting. For example, children confidently count as they take three tomatoes from a larger groups of vegetables to practise their chopping to develop their fine motor skills.

Staff care deeply about the children in their care and want them to do well.Children develop their communication and language skills through a love of stories and rhymes, which staff use to deliver their curriculum. Staff skilfully use reference books alongside activities to broaden children's knowledge.

For instance, children look through books as they learn about saving water and electricity to look after the planet. Babies copy the actions and make sounds as staff sing familiar rhymes. Toddlers enjoy story time as they repeat familiar phrases from favourite books.

However, at times during these group times, there are unnecessary interruptions and distractions that do not support children's developing concentration skills.Parents are happy with the care that children receive. They say that regular updates from staff help them to understand what children are learning.

Parents report that the information they receive helps them to extend learning at home. They say that the staff are approachable and that they are able to talk to them about any additional support they need.The manager monitors staff effectively to maintain the quality of education and ensure that the curriculum is implemented as intended.

However, in some areas, fostering children's independence is yet to be fully implemented. For example, staff put on aprons for children to play in the water, they serve food and drinks at snack and mealtimes, instead of encouraging them to do it independently. This does not consistently support children's developing independence.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: sharpen the focus of teaching during staff interactions with children to enhance their learning further, so they make the most progress they are capable of nenhance the implementation of group activities so that there are minimal distractions for children taking part help staff to support children to develop and practise their independence.