Little Sprouts

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children benefit greatly from the warm and supportive relationships they have with caring and attentive staff. Younger children are very calm and have familiar and regular routines. They quickly settle to sleep after lunch, and when they wake, they are happy to see staff's familiar faces.

Children enjoy the comforting moments they have with staff as they prepare to continue their play. Older children excitedly talk to staff about their interests. They are confident to give staff instructions and express their ideas.

Children's excitement for learning is evident throughout the nursery. They are creative and have their o...wn ideas of what they want to do. For example, children ask staff to draw around them.

Children provide a commentary as they draw facial features and clothing. Children's confidence is evident in their willingness to engage in a varied range of learning opportunities. Staff's good knowledge of the children ensures that the learning targets they set for each child are challenging yet achievable.

Children listen and respond well to staff's instructions. When it is time for them to come indoors, children follow the rules and line up at the door. Older children learn how to keep themselves safe.

For example, when balancing on an uneven surface, they know they must hold on to a handrail.

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

Leaders have a clear understanding of what is important for the children to learn, taking account of their experiences at home and in the wider world. They have a clear focus on ensuring children have strong communication skills and a secure sense of emotional well-being.

Leaders' vision is understood by staff who support children to develop positive relationships with others. They provide a wide range of opportunities for children to listen to and use language.Children have many opportunities to listen to stories and rhymes.

Younger children independently choose books and take them to staff, who read to them. Older children engage enthusiastically in familiar stories, finishing off rhyming sentences and describing what happens next. Staff recognise when younger children become restless and they sing songs to calm them.

Children stop what they are doing and join in with the words and actions.Staff use additional funding to support those children who are at risk of developmental delay. They use detailed assessments to identify children's specific learning needs.

Staff purchase resources and use these to help children to improve their attention when listening to stories.Parents comment very positively about their children's experiences in the nursery. They value the information that staff share about their children's learning.

They admire staff's commitment to ensuring children achieve a good level of development. Parents comment on their children's good progress since attending the nursery and the sound contribution the nursery has made to this.Staff support children to become independent individuals and to understand rules and boundaries.

Staff have ever increasing expectations of what children can do. Younger children learn basic self-care skills, including the importance of good hygiene. Older children put on their shoes and coats in preparation for going outdoors.

Staff support children to become confident, develop good friendships and play cooperatively with their peers. Children learn skills that help them to make successful transitions between rooms or on to school.Staff understand the importance of promoting children's physical development.

They provide opportunities for children to negotiate different surfaces, balance and practise rolling objects. However, they do not always pay enough attention to spaces for younger children to practise their walking skills indoors. Children tentatively take steps, but they lose confidence when they step on toys or encounter obstructions and do not continue their practice.

Leaders support the less experienced staff to pursue professional development opportunities and obtain childcare qualifications. However, they do not focus enough on helping staff recognise when to take steps to extend children's learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know the signs they must report that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. They understand the procedures they must follow to report their concerns about children's welfare, or concerns about adults who work with children. Leaders have secure systems in place and respond quickly to safeguarding concerns.

They keep appropriate records and contact relevant professionals when required. Leaders are aware of potential risks outside of the nursery and ensure staff have an up-to-date knowledge of wider safeguarding issues.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support the less experienced staff to develop their skills and confidence to extend children's learning, particularly when children are deeply engaged and interested in activities nencourage staff's continuous monitoring of the spaces available for the youngest children to practise their walking and moving skills freely.