Little Palms

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children and families receive a warm welcome at this friendly nursery.

Children thrive in the carefully planned environment. They are immediately engrossed in the wide range of exciting activities on offer. Staff are very kind and attentive.

Children show that they feel safe and secure. They have good social skills and readily involve adults and other children in their play. Children are very well behaved and have a clear understanding of what staff expect from them.

Children share, take turns and play happily together. Staff focus effectively on developing children's communication and mathematical skills. Sta...ff model language and provide good support to build children's vocabulary.

Staff skilfully ask questions to test out children's knowledge. They encourage children to explore their own ideas and to think about what could happen next. Children confidently count and recognise numbers.

There are many opportunities to sort, match and compare shapes and sizes. Children develop very good levels of independence and staff help them to build confidence to manage everyday tasks for themselves. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement, which helps them to build good levels of self-esteem.

Staff know children well. Staff have regular meetings to reflect on each child's individual stage of development and their emerging interests. Staff are committed to ensuring all children enjoy their time at the nursery and continually make good progress.

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

Managers and staff have worked hard to successfully address the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. This has helped to greatly improve the quality of the provision. Managers and staff receive very good support from the senior leadership team.

The dedicated manager and the enthusiastic staff team work very well together. There is a strong team ethos to provide the very best for children and families.Partnerships with parents and carers are strong.

They are very complimentary about the quality of care and the progress children make. Children can take home special activity bags containing exciting resources and simple instructions. These successfully encourage parents and carers to be involved in their children's learning.

Staff make effective use of an online app, which allows them to share photographs and instant messages with parents and carers.Staff work closely with other agencies involved in children's care and development to successfully implement targeted plans to support children's individual needs. Staff make careful adjustments to activities and methods of communication.

As a result, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children for whom English is an additional language, can participate effectively. All children make good progress.Staff use their observations of what children know, understand and can do to plan for their individual needs and interests.

The manager closely monitors children's progress and development. She provides good support to improve staff understanding of the purpose of accurate assessment. There are regular meetings to discuss how best to use the high-quality resources in exciting and challenging ways to increase children's curiosity and engagement.

Children enjoy using the outdoor play area. For example, they like to dance, chase bubbles blown by staff and draw with chalks. They learn how to successfully grow vegetables and flowers.

However, the outdoor curriculum does not fully promote children's progress in all areas of learning.Staff promote children's literacy skills well. Children enjoy choosing books to look at with their friends.

Staff regularly read stories and children listen attentively. Staff skilfully use information books to extend children's knowledge and understanding of the natural world. For example, children look at pictures to compare them with the spider found outside.

Children learn about good hygiene routines and healthy food choices. They know why they must wash their hands before eating and carefully wash up their cup and bowl when finished. The experienced, friendly cook provides a range of nutritious midday meals and afternoon snacks.

Children use serving spoons with confidence. They skilfully use knives to spread different toppings on their bread. Parents receive excellent helpful tips for putting together a healthy and balanced lunchbox.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff regularly complete training. They are aware of the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm.

Staff know the steps to take if they are concerned about a child's welfare or a colleague's conduct. The manager regularly questions the staff to ensure their knowledge is up to date. Robust recruitment procedures are followed to ensure staff are suitable.

New staff follow an induction process that supports them in understanding their roles and responsibilities. Daily risk assessments are undertaken to ensure the nursery remains a safe place in which children can play and learn.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: continue to develop the outdoor curriculum to ensure children's progress is promoted in all areas of learning.