Moat House Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

The nursery is extremely calm and welcoming.

Staff frequently work very closely with pregnant mothers in preparation for their child attending the nursery. Leaders, managers and staff have a deep passion and shared vision for providing exceptional, high-quality care and education for young children and their families. The dedicated staff have very high expectations for all children, and even the most disadvantaged make exceptional progress.

Children have very strong attachments to their key persons and this helps babies to develop emotional security and settle well. Children are extremely confident and independe...nt in their play and are supported to make independent choices. They are curious learners and enjoy exploring the well-resourced nursery freely.

Extremely strong partnerships with parents and home learning links have a significant impact on children's progress. Staff offer parents opportunities to engage in events, such as baby massage and swimming. Parents are also encouraged to practise baby signing to support their children's early communication.

The health visitor is regularly available to provide advice and support to parents, to fully promote children's development. Staff work extensively with other agencies to ensure that the most vulnerable children receive the right care and support to help them achieve the best possible outcomes. Parents feel very comfortable leaving their young children and speak extremely highly about the care provided.

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

Highly skilled and knowledgeable staff know and respond very effectively to the developmental needs of babies and young children. They provide a rich range of experiences to support babies' development. For example, babies have opportunities for 'tummy time' to help to build their strength and coordination.

Furniture and resources are arranged thoughtfully to enable babies to improve their physical skills, for example to pull themselves up. The high-quality resources are moved around the nursery to ensure that children remain stimulated and challenged in their learning.The manager has successfully reduced the workload for all staff to promote their well-being.

She has reviewed and developed effective systems for sharing planning and children's next steps in learning across the team.Staff provide an array of visits and experiences that children and families benefit from. For example, they take part in swimming classes and a programme to improve the frequency and quality of language and conversation with children within the home.

Children show high levels of interest and determination in activities, such as attempting to blow bubbles, throwing balls and engaging in messy play. Staff take advantage of every spontaneous opportunity to extend and support children's learning.The drive, passion and enthusiasm of leaders and managers are evident from the outcomes and successes of children and families.

Staff consistently celebrate children's achievements, such as first words or first steps, with parents through daily feedback.Leaders and managers provide exceptional support and guidance to staff, and offer a wide range of opportunities for professional development. The exemplary work with babies in the nursery is shared with other early years professionals in the local area.

Practitioners visit the nursery so that they benefit and learn from this excellent practice.Staff tailor the curriculum to ensure that all children have opportunities to make the best possible progress in all prime areas of learning. There is strong focus on language and communication, and staff skilfully adopt strategies suggested by speech and language professionals.

They use techniques such as putting familiar objects that they are referring to near their mouth when saying a word to a young child. This helps the child to make links and develop their language skills.Staff are very positive role models and support children in developing desirable attitudes to behaviour.

Children are motivated and engaged in play and exploration and demonstrate exceptionally high levels of interest in the world around them.Staff work collaboratively with parents and understand their individual needs. This helps to provide an holistic and highly cohesive approach to supporting children and their families.

Leadership and management are exemplary. The manager is inspirational and provides consistent support for staff, children and parents. She works very closely with governors and leaders to produce improvement plans that focus on the priorities for children's well-being and learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have an extremely secure knowledge of how to keep children safe. They have extensive experience of working with other agencies to ensure vulnerable children and families in need receive very effective support.

Risk assessment is rigorous and staff constantly review safety drills and procedures to ensure that the well-being of children is assured. Leaders carry out rigorous recruitment, vetting and induction processes that ensure all staff understand their role within the nursery. Staff know how to manage and assess all potential risks so that children are safe.