Little Harriers Day Nurseries Lavant

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and secure as they arrive at the nursery. They are greeted warmly by management and staff.

Children separate well from their parents. They confidently look for their name fob to hang it on the self-registration tree in the entrance foyer.Leaders carefully consider the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's development.

They work closely with staff to decide how they can support children to make good progress in their learning. Leaders and staff are keen to ensure that children have exposure to a variety of experiences that interest and engage them. As a result, children show high lev...els of motivation and are curious to explore their play environments.

For example, children delight in participating in forest-school sessions. They seek out creatures under logs and gather twigs and leaves to create bird's nests when they return to nursery.Staff build positive relationships with children.

They effectively use emotion cards to support children to understand and express their feelings. Children behave very well. They are extremely confident in sharing their knowledge of how they follow the rules to stay safe when they are outside.

Babies and toddlers seek comfort from familiar staff. They enjoy sharing board books together and use sensory resources to keep them stimulated.

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

Leaders have a clear understanding of what they intend children to learn within the curriculum.

Staff model good teaching skills when they support children, which helps them to make progress in their development. Leaders provide training opportunities for staff to promote children's learning further.Overall, staff encourage children to deeply understand new ideas and to make connections in their learning.

For instance, staff ask children questions about past experiences that they have participated in. This encourages recall and discussion about what they have learned about previously. However, on occasion, not all staff make maximum use of interactions to challenge and further extend children's thinking skills.

Staff offer children good opportunities to practise independence skills. Children wash their own hands, serve themselves lunch and pour their own drinks. Children show high levels of collaboration with their peers.

After lunch, children work together to scrape their own plates before sitting back down, ready for their pudding.Children receive clear support to develop their communication and language skills well. Staff caring for all age groups take opportunities to share books and read stories to children.

They use props to bring stories to life and keep children interested. Staff encourage discussion by inviting the children's views about what is happening in stories.Leaders act swiftly when they identify children who have a delay in their development.

They ensure that children receive intervention at the earliest opportunity so that they receive the support they need to catch up. Leaders and staff work with families and outside professionals to ensure targeted support offers children a chance to reach their full potential.Children show high levels of engagement and great enthusiasm in their play and learning.

They show courage and fascination in their explorations. For instance, some children who are apprehensive to touch a worm are given support and gentle encouragement to hold it so they can observe it more closely.Children demonstrate exemplary behaviour.

Staff remind children about expectations for how they are to behave. They offer explanations to help children understand the reasons behind why they have rules. For instance, children explain that 'walking feet' means they do not run inside the nursery, but they can run outside.

Children explain the reason is because they may fall over and hurt themselves.Staff are familiar with risks associated to online devices and talk to children about stranger danger. They are yet to fully embed strategies to help children have a secure understanding of e-safety.

Parents speak highly of the nursery. They comment on the positive relationships their children have with staff. Parents highlight how well key carers support their children to make progress in their learning and development.

There is a common theme that the staff help to build children's confidence.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders ensure that staff receive training to keep their awareness of child protection issues up to date.

Staff have a good knowledge of recognising signs of abuse, and are aware of wider safeguarding concerns. They know who to contact to make a referral in line with local procedures. Staff record children's hours of attendance.

This is monitored and any non-attendance is followed up to ensure children's safety and well-being are maintained. Staff carry out daily risk assessments. They check that children are not exposed to unnecessary hazards.

Leaders have a good understanding of safer recruitment processes. This helps to ensure that only suitable individuals work with children.

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 utilise opportunities to challenge children further in their learning to extend thinking skills to the highest level plan more extensive opportunities for children to learn about e-safety to extend their knowledge further in how they can keep themselves safe.