Marcham Little Angels 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 content at the nursery. They show that they feel safe. They enter the nursery with ease, separating from their carers at the main door.

Children enjoy a good range of toys and resources available to them. They benefit from the strong focus on outdoor learning and play. Children are busy and engaged throughout the day.

Many are seen to have fun playing games with their friends. For instance, younger children enjoy investigating different materials together, such as real vegetables and natural resources in their play. Older children become absorbed in listening and retelling m...ade-up stories.

All children enjoy sensory activities. They enjoy exploring with water and foam and clearly enjoy imaginative play as they 'bake' with sand.Staff promote children's communication and language skills well.

They ensure children of all ages have many opportunities to hear spoken words through meaningful conversations and songs. Children behave well together. They are kind and friendly towards each other.

Overall, staff know the children in their care and provide learning that is well supported. All children are making good progress in their learning, including those who receive additional funding.

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

Staff plan and provide a welcoming environment for the children to play and explore in.

The nursery is clean and well maintained. All children have access to secure outside areas, where they enjoy playing and exploring. Children's physical development is well supported.

Children have opportunities to use their muscles and large physical skills on various equipment which helps them to run, climb and balance. Furthermore, children develop skills, such as penalty kicking, through extra-curricular activities they complete.Children have many opportunities to learn about the world around them.

They enjoy outings in the local community, where they benefit from forest school adventures and meet people in the local cafes. Children learn about the roles of people who help us. For example, they enjoy planned visits from the fire brigade and police officers, which enable children to meet the people and see and explore the equipment they use.

Leaders have a clear vision for the curriculum and, overall, this is well embedded by the staff. However, not all staff confidently challenge children in their learning so that children make the best possible progress. For instance, staff are at times too quick to pour drinks or write the children's names, rather than allow them opportunities to have a go for themselves.

Nevertheless, some staff provide activities that support children's emerging literacy skills. For example, older children have opportunities to explore letters and their sounds.Overall, staff are good role models.

They encourage children to share and take turns and they are kind and respectful to them. Children have many opportunities to develop their relationships with others. Staff have good connections with the children and give them the reassurance and comfort they need.

Staff promote children's health well. They maintain good hygiene routines, such as washing their hands before serving the children's meals. Staff ensure children are protected from the sun and they teach them the importance of drinking plenty of water in hot weather.

All children, especially babies, have their care needs met, as they are able to sleep when they need to. This means their well-being is supported effectively.Partnerships with parents are very positive.

Parents comment that the staff are supportive and friendly. They say that their children love to attend the nursery and they have made great progress since attending. Partnerships with outside professionals are well established and encouraged to meet the needs of the children.

Leaders are ambitious and show a commitment to make further improvements to the nursery. They provide staff with good opportunities for training and encourage professional development. This helps staff to enhance their knowledge and skills and improve outcomes for children.

Staff comment that they feel well supported and their workload is manageable. However, at times, some staff do not maintain the nursery procedures, as expected by the leaders, resulting in some practices not being consistent.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The leadership team and staff have a good knowledge and understanding of how to protect children and keep them safe. All staff are confident in the signs and indicators of abuse and the procedures to follow should they have a concern about the welfare of a child. The leadership team ensures that all staff undertake regular safeguarding training.

The team ensures staff have frequent opportunities to discuss child protection and safeguarding issues, such as extremist views. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to help ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop the curriculum further to help build on challenging and extending all children's knowledge and skills review the impact of staff supervision, coaching and mentoring to ensure all nursery procedures are maintained and that practices are consistent.