Little Green Rascals - Tadcaster Road

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are extremely happy, settled and secure at this very friendly and welcoming setting. They play cooperatively together as they swing from trees and whittle sticks in the large, enclosed garden.

Children explore with their senses. They add herbs to dough as they knead and roll. At snack time, children investigate the inside of fruits and vegetables they help to chop and prepare.

Children benefit from rich opportunities for fresh air and exercise through trips to the nursery's forest school. Here, they gather leaves, go on nature hunts and make dens for visiting hedgehogs. Children learn about nature and n...atural materials as they explore with sand, soil and water.

They build with toy bricks, gravel and stones in the construction area. Staff provide excellent support for children to manage their feelings and behaviour. For example, children explore emotions with staff as they talk about the feelings of the three bears in the story of Goldilocks.

Children register themselves into the nursery at the beginning of the day. This helps them to feel a sense of ownership and belonging. Staff praise and encourage children.

They are specific in their praise, so children can easily identify what they have done well. This helps to promote children's confidence, sense of achievement and self-esteem. Children are fully engaged in their play and are highly motivated to learn.

They grow rapidly in independence. For example, staff support them to put on their own waterproofs for outdoor play and help them to serve themselves at mealtimes.

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

Children are encouraged to be helpful and kind to their friends.

Staff are excellent role models, who show high levels of respect for the children in their care. Children form close bonds with their key person and new children settle quickly.Staff value children's contributions highly and act upon their ideas.

For example, staff regularly gather feedback from children about meal and snack times. This information helps senior staff and the nursery cook to continue to make healthy, balanced and nutritious meals.Older children are invited to join a pre-school council.

Here, staff encourage them to share what they like about nursery and anything that frustrates them. Staff create a display of feedback for children, so they can see the actions staff take as a result. This helps them to know staff value their opinions.

Children benefit from a wide range of highly stimulating and challenging experiences and activities. Children take part in music sessions and explore with a range of drums and instruments outdoors. Young children explore with ribbons and bells.

Children learn about the wider world outside the setting through trips to the local racecourse, library, pond and museum.Staff clearly identify children's starting points, in partnership with parents. They plan carefully what they need to do next to help support individual children to reach their full potential.

Staff encourage children to think for themselves and solve their own problems. For example, children investigate where to position a tree trunk to make the best pivot for a see-saw they are making.There is excellent support for children's developing communication and language skills.

Children take part in singing, rhymes and listening walks. They learn additional strategies, including sign language, to help support their communication further.Staff plan excellent support for children's personal, social and emotional development.

There is a strong focus on mindfulness and well-being throughout the nursery for children, parents and staff. Staff complete training in mental health. They are encouraged at staff meetings to share praise about each other.

Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is outstanding. Staff work closely with parents and professionals from education and health to develop clear support plans and strategies. This helps to provide a consistent approach to support for children's learning and development.

Feedback from parents is excellent. They praise the robust systems in place for gathering their views. Parents say support for settling their children into nursery is very flexible.

Support for children's move to the next room at nursery or on to school is superb. Parents praise the social events the nursery organises, such as 'Gandparents Day' and 'Sports Day'. They say they feel well informed about nursery life.

Leadership and management of the nursery is outstanding and inspirational. The very knowledgeable and experienced manager and head of operations provide excellent support to the highly qualified staff team. Support for staff's continuous professional development is a priority.

The dedicated staff benefit from opportunities to carry out roles and responsibilities that reflect their skills and interests.Staff reflect deeply on the impact of training on experiences for children and their own practice. The manager and senior staff are extremely reflective.

They are passionate about continuously improving the service they provide.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have an excellent knowledge and understanding of how to keep children safe.

Staff complete relevant safeguarding training, including training on wider aspects of safeguarding. They complete training in food hygiene and first aid. Staff know what might give them concern about a child and the process to follow to help keep them safe.

They have a very good general awareness of how to keep children safe and healthy on a daily basis. For example, staff support children to use woodworking tools safely. They teach children how to use cutlery safely as they chop fruit ready for snack time.