Little Peeps Nursery Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enter the nursery confidently. They give their parents and carers a hug and become engrossed in their chosen play. Children are greeted by staff who give them a big smile and welcome them enthusiastically.

Parents share information with staff about what their children have been doing at home or are going to be doing at the weekend. Children are happy, settled and content in the nursery environment. They form close friendships with the other children and have good relationships with staff.

Children behave well and understand the nursery's rules and safety procedures. For example, they move around safely indoors... and put their wellington boots on to play in the garden. Children listen carefully and follow instructions, for example, when staff give them a five-minute warning that the routine is about to change.

Children thoroughly enjoy learning in the exciting and interesting garden. They make mud paint in the mud kitchen and use their paint to decorate fences and climbing equipment in the garden. They explore a large tray of water, proficiently pouring the water down tubes and between varying sized vessels.

Children make good progress from their starting points. Staff accurately assess their progress and development and plan effectively to help them to be ready for their next stage of learning.

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

Children's mathematical thinking in the older children's room is well promoted.

Staff follow children's leads to introduce new thinking. For example, children using a tape measure are encouraged to lie on the floor and be measured. They write their own name on a piece of paper to act as their marker.

They predict whether the next child or adult will be taller or shorter than them.Partnerships with parents are good. Parents spoken to at the time of the inspection comment on the friendly staff and how well they care for their children.

They say that they feel very involved in their children's learning and have good opportunities to meet with their child's key person on a regular basis.Staff make good use of special occasions to enhance children's learning in a fun way. For example, they paint pictures with red paint using real red roses in line with their 'Valentine's Day' theme.

They make heart shaped pizzas for lunch and explore rose petals in the sand and water trays.Children's independence and confidence is, generally, promoted well across the nursery. However, staff do not give enough consideration to some of the tools and utensils they use to enhance this aspect of learning.

For example, older children pour their own milk at snack and lunch time but from very large bottles, which often leads to spillages. Toddlers are able to access creative materials from their 'creative station'. However, they find it difficult to squirt the paint from the pump-action bottles, requiring assistance from the staff.

Children's speech and language skills are confidently promoted by staff who use clear explanations and test children's understanding through appropriate questions. Staff understand the importance of giving children time to consider their thoughts and responses. They introduce new words and praise children for using 'good words' in their play.

Children, occasionally, go for walks in the school grounds to extend their learning. However, at present staff do not enhance children's understanding of the wider world further. For example, they do not make best use of trips and outings in the local area, or bring visitors in to the nursery to enrich the children's experiences.

The stable and long-established staff team work very well together. They are supported by the day-to-day manager and the provider who shares her time between this nursery and one other setting. Staff meet with the manager every six weeks for a supervision meeting and discuss their training needs and roles.

Staff have opportunities to enhance their knowledge through a range of training and research. For example, some staff have recently completed a course on using Yoga in the nursery, to further enhance the experiences for children who enjoy physical movement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Managers and staff demonstrate a good understanding of the types of abuse and the symptoms that might alert them that a child's safety or well-being is compromised. They know the nursery's procedures well and understand how to take their concerns to the appropriate authority. Staff regularly update their safeguarding knowledge, for example, through training, research and in-house discussions.

New staff follow a clear induction, which helps them to establish a good understanding of the nursery's policies and procedures, including safeguarding. Staff conduct daily checks of the premises to help them to identify and deal with any safety issues.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenrich children's opportunities to learn about the local and wider communities provide children with appropriate tools and utensils to help them to become confident and independent, for example, when serving themselves drinks or accessing creative materials.

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