Mama Bear’s Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children flourish in this highly supportive and nurturing nursery. Children feel secure and are eager to begin their exciting day.

Staff plan the curriculum exceptionally well to ensure all children make excellent progress from their starting points. Babies develop strong independence as they skilfully learn how to feed themselves with a spoon, with staff support. Toddlers learn how to use a water dispenser to provide themselves with a drink after exercise, knowing to stay hydrated.

Older children dish up a healthy hot lunch using serving spoons. They confidently provide themselves with a second helping and kind...ly offer their peers too.Children in receipt of additional funding and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are exceptionally well supported.

All staff have high expectations of children and do their utmost to support them. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures all children receive prompt, targeted intervention to help them reach their full potential as quickly as possible. Staff make specialist resources to help children understand the rules and boundaries of the nursery.

For instance, staff provide children with appropriate materials that children can bite, rip and throw to express their emotions positively. All children are very well behaved.

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

Partnerships with parents are outstanding.

Families comment on the amazing support staff provide to them, their children and the whole community. Memorials and celebration days are pivotal in remembering special children. The nursery encourages all families to attend events, such as 'graduation' for school leavers and 'garden parties', where parents and carers enjoy a day with their children at the nursery.

They share children's progress and interests over food and enjoyable activities. An embedded two-way flow of information is firmly in place to ensure children thrive.Staff highly support children to achieve their 'curriculum goals'.

These include being a 'fantastic friend', 'independent individual', 'exceptional explorer' and 'talented tool user'. Staff encourage children to develop strong friendships and independence, and to learn key skills through exploring and using age-appropriate tools. Children demonstrate these exceptionally well through child-led and adult-focused activities.

The nursery ensures that all children have excellent opportunities to experience a variety of innovative and highly motivating activities. Children engage in football sessions with 'Plymouth Argyle' and watch theatre groups perform. They become involved with caring for 'bugs' and enjoy grooming therapy ponies.

Children develop an excellent understanding of the world around them.The leadership team is highly reflective and passionate about continually improving the nursery for both staff and children alike. Staff receive an 'appreciation box' from them, packed with tokens of kindness and gifts to show their gratitude and commitment to the nursery.

Exceptional training opportunities provided for staff ensure they are fully equipped to support all families in times of need, such as through loss and trauma. Leaders are keen to further extend their commitment to military families to ensure parents and children can keep in touch while they are away from one another.Children are taught about respect from an early age.

Staff talk to babies about 'kind hands' when playing. Toddlers and older children engage in enjoyable activities to help them understand their feelings and emotions. They use mirrors to explore their facial features and then make their own 'face' using pictures.

Children talk about what makes them happy, sad and angry.The nursery has excellent links with other professionals. For instance, they liaise closely with the local museum to create a display of how children view the National Health Service.

Children drew pictures of rainbows, community 'clapping' and significant key workers, such as nurses, doctors and teachers to show their appreciation during the COVID-19 pandemic.Staff ensure children feel emotionally secure prior to starting school. They create a pictorial display of all the children and of the different schools they will attend.

They show children images of teaching staff and their new environment. Headteachers and Reception Year staff visit children at the nursery to enable children to become familiar with them. Staff provide detailed information to school staff about children's development and any assistance they may require before moving on.

This helps to ensure children feel completely safe and supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff prioritise children's safety.

They help them to understand simple rules to ensure their welfare. For example, children know that the 'large red crosses' placed on certain doors mean they cannot enter these. Staff encourage children to manage their own risks.

Toddlers and older children identify potential hazards, such as toys on the floor, and quickly pick them up. They know others could fall over them and are quick to alert their peers. Staff provide essential information to parents to help safeguard their children.

They talk to them about children sleeping in a cot or a bed at home, to ensure the correct posture and safety for children. Staff attend regular child protection training, and leaders provide them with on-the-spot 'quizzes' to ensure they keep their knowledge updated. Staff have an excellent understanding of how to recognise when a child is at risk of harm and who to contact when necessary.