Merrydale Day Nursery and Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children receive a warm welcome from staff when they arrive and are eager to get on with the activities. They are happy and cared for in a safe and inclusive environment.

Children particularly enjoy outdoor play. For instance, they happily kick the footballs and carefully keep track of their scores. Children behave well.

Staff provide them with good role models because they treat everyone with courtesy and respect. Children are beginning to form good friendships. This is demonstrated well when older children work together to build a high tower, taking it in turns to add blocks.

They laugh with delight as the t...ower falls over and then decide to start again. All children make good progress from their starting points. Overall, staff plan a suitably ambitious curriculum that helps them to make good progress toward their next steps.

The manager and staff work effectively in partnership with parents, outside agencies and other specialist settings to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive any support they need. Staff use children's interests well to support their learning. For example, they encourage children to closely examine a favourite toy dinosaur, to count how many legs it has.

Children point out with excitement that it also has a tail.

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

Children have many opportunities to develop their early writing skills. Babies use easy-grip crayons, which are suitable for small hands, to make marks on paper.

Toddlers enjoy making patterns in paint using small tools, such as rollers. Older children show a sense of achievement when they practise writing the first letters of their names.Children develop their communication and language skills well.

They hear lots of words, as staff chat to them while they play. Staff also introduce new words to help them build their vocabulary. For instance, babies hear words, such as 'jug' and 'pour', as they scoop water into small containers.

They listen in awe as they hear water flow down large tubes.Staff know children well and, generally, plan challenging activities for them. However, on occasion, such as when babies wait too long to wash their hands before snack, children are not purposely involved in activities that meet their needs and build on their prior learning.

As a result, they sometimes lose focus and engagement in learning.Children receive particularly good grounding for their future mathematical development. Older children count how many children are present.

They build on their learning, as they perform simple calculations to consider whether this is more or less than before lunch. Toddlers start to order numbers after reading a story.Children are supported well to wash their hands regularly, such as before meals and after using the toilet.

However, staff do not explain why this is important to help children learn to understand about how to lead a healthy lifestyle.Children make many choices and explore different materials. Babies experiment with instruments, such as drums, shakers and noise makers.

They play the instruments enthusiastically with big smiles on their faces, to show how much they enjoy the experience. Toddlers discover what happens when they mix paints. They watch carefully as they notice that red paint becomes lighter when they mix in some white.

The manager follows good procedures to monitor the quality of the provision. She and the management team provide staff with ongoing opportunities for continuous professional development, which supports their practice effectively. Staff say they have no concerns about their workload and that they feel well supported.

Parents speak very highly of the nursery and staff. They appreciate that their children are happy and enjoy attending. Parents receive regular feedback from staff, despite not being able to enter the premises currently due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

However, some say they are not clear about their child's next steps and how they can support these at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff know how to recognise signs that may indicate a child's welfare is at risk of harm.

They are clear about the procedures to follow if they have any concerns. Staff conduct ongoing risk assessments of the premises to help keep children safe. They supervise children carefully, including checking on them regularly when they are asleep.

Staff teach children how to consider and manage risks for themselves, for example as they learn to navigate along the tall outdoor stumps. They develop children's understanding of personal safety further during forest school activities, for instance, when they help them to toast marshmallows over a pretend fire.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to provide children with suitably challenging activities that meet their individual needs and interests consistently help children to understand why good hygiene is important for leading a healthy lifestyle provide parents with regular information about their children's next steps so that they can support their learning at home.