Little Learners Heanor

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are greeted warmly by staff as they arrive at the nursery.

They separate happily from their parents and are ready to play and explore their environment, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure. Children confidently ask staff for their favourite activities. For example, children in the under two-year-old group ask for the 'Rhyme Rug' game.

They cheer with joy as they join in with singing and perform the actions to their favourite songs. Children throughout the nursery show a love of stories. Babies choose their favourite story book and clamber on to a member of staff's knee to listen to it being read to th...em.

Toddlers carefully turn the pages of their favourite books. Pre-school children show excitement as they take part in a vote to choose their story of the week.Children bring in natural items, such as pumpkins and autumn leaves, which they have collected with their families.

At the nursery, they explore these in their play and use words, such as 'crispy, heavy and big', as they describe how they feel, repeating back new vocabulary modelled by the adults in the setting. This supports children throughout the nursery to develop strong language skills.

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

The manager has a clear intent for the curriculum for all children in the nursery.

This intent is shared with staff, and most staff talk confidently about what children already know and their next steps in learning. For instance, staff provide activities such as threading and a 'buckle cushion' to support children's physical development and their fine muscle control.Leaders and staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well.

For example, staff monitor children's language development closely and provide specific activities to support children with speech and language delay. Staff also work in strong partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure that children get the required levels of support they need.Staff build good relationships with the children and can talk confidently about children's interests.

They then use these interests to plan exciting activities that engage children in their learning. For example, children in the under two room share their fascination with insects and staff provide a minibeast hunt activity in shaving foam. Children enjoy sliding their hands through the foam in the tuff spot, making different marks and exploring the sensory activity to find the hidden bugs.

On occasions throughout the day, play for children in the pre-school is interrupted. For example, children are asked to leave activities they are engaged in to sit together for snack, even when they are not ready to eat or drink at that time. As a result, children are not always able to engage in focused play, and staff miss opportunities to extend children's concentration and allow them choices in their learning.

The manager undertakes regular supervisions and appraisals of staff. However, these need to be developed further so that they focus on developing newer staff's knowledge and teaching skills. For example, when a three-year-old shows an interest in counting shapes, new staff do not build on what the child already knows and miss the opportunity to extend their mathematical knowledge further.

Staff recognise the value of outdoor play for all children and that not all children have access to a garden at home. They provide exciting outdoor play experiences. For example, some children play on the climbing frame, pretending it is a rocket, blasting off to the moon.

Younger children use spoons to dig for uncooked spaghetti in the sand tray. This supports children to experience learning in a different environment, while benefiting from fresh air and being outside.Staff teach children how to carefully manage risks in their own play.

For example, during an activity using scissors, staff remind children about remaining seated and holding the scissors carefully to stay safe. This supports children to learn the skills needed to keep themselves safe.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are confident in the procedures to follow in the event that they have any concerns about the conduct or practice of a colleague. They know the signs and symptoms of abuse and who to report concerns to, should they be worried about a child in their care. The contact details for relevant safeguarding agencies are clearly displayed in the nursery.

All staff find out about children's medical and dietary requirements when they first start. They regularly speak with parents to check the information they hold on children's dietary requirements is up to date; this contributes to children's health and welfare.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove opportunities for pre-school children to concentrate, play and fully explore activities and resources without interruptions strengthen and embed supervision, mentoring and coaching for newer members of staff to support consistency across the setting.