Mes Enfants

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and well settled at this welcoming nursery. They have warm, trusting relationships with the staff that care for them. Babies show they feel secure, they smile when they see their key people and put their arms out to them to request a cuddle.

Pre-school children excitedly tell staff about their weekend and what they have been doing at home since they last attended nursery.Children are confident and explore the environment with interest. They show delight when they find a 'family of slugs' in the nursery garden.

They confidently count how many slugs there are and order them in size, identifying which i...s the largest and which is the smallest. They point out the slimy trails that the slugs leave behind them as they move, and they discuss what the slugs like to eat. The children suggest to the staff that it must have been the slugs that have eaten the courgettes that they were growing in the nursery vegetable patch.

Children behave well and know what is expected of them. They are supported to manage their feelings and resolve any minor conflict over toys. Toddlers and pre-school children are learning to share and take turns.

Children listen to staff and follow instructions carefully. They help tidy away toys and use good manners.

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

Staff understand how children learn.

They use information they gain from parents and complete regular observations of children, to find out if there are any gaps in their development. Staff use what they know about children's individual development and interests to plan for children's next steps in learning.Staff support children to have positive attitudes to learning.

Children learn to keep trying, to be resilient and solve problems. Babies concentrate as they try to push pipe cleaners into the holes in a colander. Toddlers work out that some of the dinosaurs they are playing with are too big to fit into the 'dinosaur house'.

They spend time finding the smaller dinosaurs that will fit, so they can carry on playing their game. Staff praise children for their efforts.Staff plan activities to give children the opportunity to take part in experiences beyond those that they have at home.

Children enjoy taking part in gardening activities. They learn how plants, fruit and vegetables grow as they help to plant seeds. They water and harvest vegetables and fruit in the nursery garden.

Children have fun getting messy and using their imagination as they play with mud, paint, foam, glitter, and cornflour. They give meaning to the marks they make as they paint and draw. Children develop good hand-to-eye coordination and good manipulative skills in preparation for writing.

Since the last inspection, the manager has accessed support from the local authority to address the weaknesses identified. She regularly seeks feedback from staff, parents and children to help inform plans for improvement. Staff comment that they really enjoy working at the nursery and feel valued and appreciated within their role.

They have regular supervision meetings and opportunities to access a wide range of training to support their ongoing professional development.Parents comment that their children have grown in confidence since starting at the small and friendly nursery. They are kept well informed about their child's achievements and the type of experiences that their child has each day.

Parents remark that the nursery is well established within the community, with many parents returning with younger siblings.Children benefit from freshly prepared healthy and nutritious meals and they thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to be physically active in the nursery garden. However, children are not learning how to keep themselves healthy.

Staff fail to talk to children about what constitutes a healthy diet and the effect that exercise has on their bodies.Staff talk to children as they play alongside them, narrating play and introducing new words. They respond to the babies as they babble and sensitively repeat words that toddlers and pre-school children mispronounce, so that children can hear the correct pronunciation.

However, not all staff give children time to think and respond before providing the answers to the questions they asked. Children do not always have the opportunity to offer their own ideas and thoughts.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff confidently describe the signs and symptoms of abuse. They know what to do if they have a concern about the welfare of a child or the conduct of another member of staff. The manager ensures that all staff are suitable for their role by carrying out rigorous background checks, when they are first employed at the setting.

The ongoing suitability of staff is regularly checked throughout their employment. Staff carry out daily risk assessments to ensure that the nursery environment, both indoors and outside, is safe and the toys and equipment are clean and well maintained.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: give children clear messages to support them to understand the importance of healthy choices and lifestyles support staff to engage children more effectively in conversations to help children to express their ideas.