Little Nippers Childcare Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children settle quickly at this setting. Staff greet them with a friendly smile and encourage them into activities that interest them. The setting's curriculum aims to provide children with essential skills that help them to develop into social, confident and communicative learners.

For instance, staff ensure stories are consistently embedded into the children's day to encourage shared interactions. Older babies recognise pictures of vehicles in books and say singular words, such as 'bus' and 'car'. Staff help toddlers to recreate a story about a teddy bear going into space.

Toddlers use large cardboard boxes as their ...'rocket' and a sieve as a 'helmet'. Pre-school children share their knowledge of their favourite tales, including 'The Gruffalo'. They talk about the characters in the story and use descriptive language, such as how the 'Gruffalo' has a 'poisonous wart at the end of his nose'.

All children play harmoniously. Staff help children to understand the setting's rules from a young age, consistently modelling how to share and take turns with others. Pre-school children have good opportunities to be part of the 'school council'.

They make decisions and vote on the activities they wish to play with. This enables children to voice their views effectively.

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

Toddlers develop a good understanding of mathematical concepts, such as weight.

They use a variety of materials, including pine cones and feathers, to find out which items are heavy and which are light. Staff help toddlers to solve problems. They encourage children to work out how to make the weighing scales balance by adding more or less of each material.

Staff provide children with innovative activities to encourage them to explore. They fill up rubber gloves with water and white paint and make very small holes in the glove fingertips. Pre-school children use their hand-to-eye coordination to squeeze liquid out of the holes to replicate milking a cow.

Staff use this opportunity to also talk to children about where milk comes from.Babies enjoy listening to staff sing familiar songs and rhymes, which helps to support their communication and language skills. Younger babies watch and listen with fascination.

Older babies begin to join in with simple actions. Staff use sign language consistently throughout the day. Children learn to copy the signs to communicate their wants and needs.

Staff skilfully encourage toddlers to ask questions. During story time, toddlers discuss whether the moon is made of cheese and which items they could buy at the 'moon shop'. However, staff sometimes disrupt group time by taking children out to wash their hands for lunch.

Some children show a reluctance to go as they want to stay and listen to the story. Others walk in front of each other to reach the bathroom, which interrupts their concentration.All children have good opportunities to be physically active both inside and outside.

Staff encourage older babies to take their first steps independently. Toddlers enjoy climbing on low-level apparatus and pre-school children enjoy throwing coloured balls into a net. As children run to pick up the balls, staff use words such as 'speedy' and 'galloping' to extend their vocabulary.

Staff provide children with healthy cooked meals and snacks throughout the day. Pre-school children confidently go and wash their hands before eating. However, those children who finish their lunch first, sit for long periods at the table while waiting for their peers.

Although staff provide children with books to look at in the meantime, some children get bored of waiting and become disengaged.Partnerships with parents are effective. Staff encourage parents to share their skills at the setting.

For instance, those with military and nursing professions share their expertise with the children to expand their knowledge. Parents report how they feel listened to and are always respected by staff. They comment on the effective communication that staff provide about their children's learning and development.

Leaders and staff show a willingness to improve the setting to benefit children. They attend regular training, such as how to further support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They implement effective strategies to support children's understanding of what will happen now and what will happen next, to help them manage changes between activities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and staff have a secure understanding of child protection. They demonstrate confidence in recognising and reporting any concerns about a child's welfare if required.

Staff help children to learn how to identify any risks as they play. Pre-school children know to check the bottom of the slide for others before proceeding down. The setting is vigilant to ensure the daily food menu considers all children's allergies and dietary requirements.

Staff have attended some medical training. They know how to administer medication in the event of any child having an anaphylactic reaction.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: plan group activities more effectively for toddlers to ensure they can concentrate and remain involved in learning norganise older children's daily routines more efficiently, particularly after lunch, to prevent children from becoming disengaged.