Matchbox Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children play happily and confidently in this safe, welcoming and well-organised nursery. They benefit from staff's sensitive and responsive interactions with them and are well cared for. Children behave well.

They are motivated to learn and participate well during activities. Staff have high expectations of children and successfully help them to make good progress in all areas of learning. They plan age-appropriate, interesting activities that children are keen to explore.

For instance, children excitedly join in with role-play activities and use their imagination well. They learn to play and cooperate with others and... develop good social skills. Staff teach children how to resolve minor conflicts with each other and how to share.

Children successfully develop the skills needed for their future learning. Throughout and since the COVID-19 pandemic, parents have not had access to the nursery as they normally would. However, parents talk positively about the communication they receive from staff, overall.

Staff regularly share information with parents to help them know how their child is progressing in their development.

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

Leaders and staff have a shared vision for what they want children to learn. They make developing children's confidence, independence and language skills a clear priority, to help prepare children for the next stage in their development.

Pre-school children develop good levels of self-esteem. They enjoy using mark-making tools to draw and form letters. They develop their fine motor and early literacy skills well, and are proud of what they achieve.

Staff interact with children well and support their learning effectively. For example, they skilfully model language to help support children's vocabulary and communication skills. Children are able to join in with songs, are attentive and listen well at story time.

They express themselves to others effectively.Staff know their key children well and use their assessments effectively to plan for children's learning. However, the communication in the staff team is not always effective in helping the 'co-key person' to fully know how to support children's individual learning needs while the key person is not present.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who have any delays in their learning are supported well. Staff plan supportive activities and quickly recognise any possible gaps in children's learning. Leaders and staff form good partnership working with other professionals.

They seek advice from other agencies about additional ways they can support children who may need additional help and implement this accordingly. All children make good rates of progress.Staff provide many opportunities for children to be physically active to support their good health and physical well-being.

For instance, toddlers confidently use ride-on toys outside, and older children learn to balance and manoeuvre on climbing equipment. Children develop their gross motor skills well.Children benefit from staff's good partnerships with parents, overall.

Parents are well informed about their child's day-to-day routines and the care the staff provide for them. Most parents know about what their children are learning next and how they can support their child at home. However, thorough, in-depth feedback is not consistently given to all parents, to help enhance the two-way flow of information shared.

Leaders check on staff's performance well, such as through regular observations and supervisions. They swiftly recognise any areas where staff may require support. Leaders take action to strengthen the quality of practice and help maintain good quality education for children.

Staff have good opportunities to develop their teaching skills and practice, such as learning from others in the staff team and through training.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

They recognise the possible signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and how to deal with this. They know what to do if they are concerned about another staff member's conduct and who to report this to. The nursery is secure and safe.

Staff follow safety procedures well, such as regularly assessing risks in all areas that children use, to identify and remove any hazards. Staff are aware of wider safeguarding issues, such as the 'Prevent' duty guidance.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance the good partnerships with parents and extend the information shared to provide a more consistent approach to children's learning in the nursery and at home strengthen communication within the staff team to help extend what key staff know about children's individual learning needs and the precise support children need while the key person is not there.