Little Gardners Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff have strong relationships with the children, which helps them to settle quickly. Children happily select resources to play with on arrival. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour.

Children understand the rules and boundaries of the nursery and follow these well. They are kind and caring towards one another. For example, children wrap up 'presents' and choose to give these to their friends.

Children take pride in their achievements and are keen to show staff what they can do. For instance, they proudly demonstrate their cutting skills as they cut around their pictures of Christmas trees. Children re...gularly take part in cooking activities with staff.

They love to bake and are able to follow staff's instructions well. Children remember which ingredients they need to use to ensure that everyone can eat the cake, including those with allergies. They practise different skills, such as chopping and stirring.

Staff skilfully support children to learn trickier skills, such as cracking eggs open. Children develop a love of stories, and staff encourage them to explore books. Staff sit and read with children throughout the day and children have clear favourites they want to listen to repeatedly.

Staff introduce mathematics through conversations with children. For example, when children ask for seconds of melon at lunchtime, staff use this as an opportunity to count with children and talk about addition.

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

Significant improvements have been made since the last inspection, particularly around safeguarding.

The management team has worked tirelessly to ensure that requirements are being met and that staff are delivering good-quality education to children.The management team has created a new curriculum based on 'four pillars of learning', including 'curious communicators' and 'respectful champions'. The management team and staff have worked together to ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and builds on what children know and can do as they progress through the nursery.

The management team has ensured that supervision processes are in place. They support staff well, particularly in regards to their well-being. However, as these processes are new, they need embedding further to enable managers to target training and development more precisely.

Staff support children's emerging communication and language skills well. They model the correct pronunciation of words and introduce children to new vocabulary. Children proudly repeat vocabulary when they master it.

For example, children excitedly repeat the word 'purple' after hearing it modelled by staff.Staff begin to teach children about personal hygiene, such as their washing hands before cooking. Children remember that this is so that there are not germs in the cake.

However, at times, hygiene practice is inconsistent. For example, sometimes, children's runny noses are not wiped clean. This means that children are not consistently supported as they begin to develop an understanding of good hygiene practices.

Staff encourage children to develop their independence skills throughout the daily routines. For example, children lay the table and then clear up after lunch. This also includes having a go at washing up their plate.

This helps children to develop a 'can-do' attitude and strengthens their independence skills.All children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress in their learning and development. Staff quickly identify where there are gaps in development and ensure that support plans are put in place.

Referrals to other professionals are made in a timely manner. Staff work in partnership with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure that children receive the support they need. Staff ensure that they regularly review children's support plans and adapt their teaching as needed.

For example, they run small-group sessions to support children to develop their listening and attention skills. This helps to close any gaps in children's development.There are good partnerships between staff and parents.

Staff signpost parents to further support should they need it, such as to the local food bank. Parents say that staff are welcoming and friendly. Staff regularly share ideas with parents of ways they can help to further support children's learning and development at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Since the last inspection, staff and management's safeguarding knowledge has significantly improved. Staff have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

They know the appropriate action to take if they are concerned about a child. This includes knowing how to report concerns, such as allegations, to the relevant local safeguarding partners as needed. The management team has undertaken training to ensure that everyone is clear on the processes to follow if staff share concerns with them.

They understand the importance of ensuring the suitability of staff at the recruitment stage and on an ongoing basis. The management team has also taken steps to ensure that visitors are supervised appropriately.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nembed fully the new supervision processes to identify any gaps in staff's knowledge and target support precisely support staff to be more consistent in teaching children good personal hygiene practices.

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