Little Lambs Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff sensitively support children to leave their parents and quickly settle. Children are keen and curious to safely explore the resources that staff provide, both inside and outside, throughout the day.

Children's personal, social and emotional development are prioritised by staff, especially when children first start attending. Staff invite parents and children to attend shorter sessions together to help them become familiar with staff and the environment.Older children form good friendships with younger children in the nursery.

They play imaginatively, and giggle together as they make dinner for each other in the m...ud kitchen outside. Babies have close relationships with the staff who care for them. They enjoy exploring dough and adding cinnamon and petals to complement the sensory experience.

Staff share feely books with babies to support their understanding of literacy. Babies snuggle into staff for comfort and enjoy pointing to the pictures.Children learn to be independent at managing their own needs and staff support this well.

For instance, older children manage their own personal hygiene and they serve their own food and drinks at mealtimes. Even the youngest children learn to be independent as they try to put on their own coats before going outside to play.

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

Staff observe and assess children's learning regularly.

They have clear targets for what they want children to learn next. The management team and staff implement a broad and ambitious curriculum to help children to make good progress. For example, staff provide a progressive curriculum that focuses on developing children's language skills.

They offer children small-group times and story and singing sessions to extend their vocabulary.Children have fun as they take part in imaginative play. Staff create opportunities for children to explore aspects of the wider world, such as pretending to play underwater with a variety of sea life.

They build on children's existing knowledge and life experiences. Children name the octopus and staff extend this knowledge as they tell them about the tentacles on the legs. They watch with delight as the sea life swim together.

However, at times staff over direct children's play and make decisions for them, limiting how much opportunity children have to further develop their own imagination and creative ideas.Staff working in the baby room are particularly skilled at extending children's vocabulary. They model language and introduce new words that build on what children already know.

Staff repeat and reinforce the language as children play alongside them.Children develop their physical skills well and staff encourage them to take on challenges as they learn new skills. The youngest children learn how to climb the equipment in the garden as they watch and copy the older children.

Older children learn to manoeuvre ride-on toys and scooters around a race track they have drawn on the floor with staff. Staff praise children for achieving challenges they have set for themselves.Children develop a love of songs and stories.

They eagerly sit down to listen to stories, and freely access books to look at independently during their play. Staff support children to be kind to their friends as they take turns to choose the next song they sing.There are close partnerships with parents.

Parents speak highly of staff and feel well supported, saying staff are always available to speak to and have supported them when working with professional agencies. They comment that staff care for their children very well, and they appreciate the range of activities the nursery offers. However, staff do not effectively provide parents with detailed information regarding their children's next steps and how to support their learning at home.

Staff receive support and coaching from the management team. Since the last inspection, staff working with two-year-old children have had the opportunity to enhance their knowledge of how to provide an environment that supports these children's learning. Young children are now fully engaged in their learning and play, with opportunities to develop skills appropriate for their age and stage of development.

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: support staff to provide children with further opportunities to follow their own ideas as they play strengthen information provided to parents regarding their children's next stages of learning, to help them support and continue learning at home.