Little Rascals Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children demonstrate that they are happy and feel safe and secure.

They are keen to explore the interesting range of resources offered. Children have unique opportunities to explore different objects. For example, they play with pots and pans, tin bowls, kitchen utensils, wooden blocks, fir cones and mirrored objects.

Babies show excitement when they listen to the sound made when they bang a metal spoon on a metal bowl. They enjoy posting objects into containers and emptying them out again. Children have a positive attitude to learning.

Staff have high expectations of children's learning. They have a good know...ledge of children's abilities and how to support them. For example, staff ask older children to count the number of children who sit on each table at lunchtime.

Children compare the number of groups of children and add them together, counting to nine. This challenges children's thinking skills and contributes to their knowledge of numbers and quantity. Children develop close relationships with staff.

For example, babies give staff cuddles and look to them for support when needed. Staff are sensitive to their individual needs. Children demonstrate positive relationships with their friends and siblings.

For example, older children pour drinks for younger children during mealtimes. Older children occasionally join their younger siblings at mealtimes.

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

Staff use the curriculum to enhance experiences for children and to help develop their understanding of the local community.

For example, they take children to visit the park, woodland and church. Children say that they see trees at the church.Staff find out about children's prior learning when they first start.

They use this, along with their own observations, to identify what children need to learn next. Children make good progress from their starting points in learning.Staff encourage children to be independent.

For example, older children wash their hands after painting and before mealtimes. Staff encourage younger children to take off their shoes.Staff support children's mathematical development well.

For example, when children roll toy cars along guttering, they count the number of cars they use. This helps younger children to develop their understanding of numbers and counting. When children climb on larger equipment, staff use language such as 'up the steps' and 'down the slide'.

This contributes to children's knowledge of language used to describe position.The managers evaluate the effectiveness of the nursery. They gather feedback from parents and children to help identify changes to enhance the experiences children receive.

Recent improvements to the environment in the baby room offer babies more space to explore and investigate. Parents comment positively about the nursery. They say that it is 'welcoming' and children have 'lots of natural resources to play with'.

Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their literacy skills. When children use brushes, paint and paper outside, they confidently talk about the marks they make and tell staff that they are drawing a 'tiger'. Staff encourage older children to recognise sounds that represent letters of the alphabet.

Staff encourage children to complete tasks on their own. For example, to tidy away resources and to serve themselves food and drinks at mealtimes. This helps them to gain a sense of responsibility.

Staff promote children's emotional well-being effectively. For example, when they move rooms in the nursery, staff share information with other staff who will care for them. Staff take children for visits to the next room to help them become familiar with the environment and different staff.

Children settle quickly and demonstrate close relationships with staff. They talk to staff confidently about their needs and wishes.Staff ask older children a good range of questions to help challenge their thinking skills.

For example, when a zip breaks on staff's clothing, they ask children how they could fix it. Older children quickly think of solutions, such as using tape. However, occasionally, staff do not use their interactions with younger children to extend their vocabulary and understanding of new words.

Children demonstrate pride in their achievements and value the praise they receive from staff. For example, they are keen to show staff that they have made a sandcastle. Children behave well and show high levels of self-esteem.

Staff share information with parents about children's care routines and achievements in the nursery. However, they do not always give parents of younger children ideas to help them support learning at home, particularly to develop a love of stories and reading.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The managers regularly check that staff's knowledge of child protection is up to date. For example, they ask staff questions about possible signs of abuse. The managers and staff understand their responsibility to promote children's welfare.

They know to work with other agencies to promote children's safety. The managers use robust recruitment procedures to make sure that staff are suitable in their roles. Furthermore, they check staff's ongoing suitability to work with children.

Staff carry out checks on the environment. This helps to provide a safe environment for children to play.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: make the most of interactions with younger children to consistently extend their vocabulary and understanding of new words strengthen opportunities for parents of younger children to support their child's learning at home, particularly to develop a love of stories and reading.