Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Chadwell Heath

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy spending time at this welcoming nursery.

Staff greet them with warm smiles and reassurance as they arrive, and children quickly settle into the daily routine. Babies confidently make choices from the exciting toys and activities on offer. Toddlers are keen to sit together as they join in making play dough, while others choose books for staff to read.

Children play with a range of fresh fruits and vegetables and pretend to make soup, which they happily share with staff. Children practise good coordination skills. For example, they carefully scoop up items with spoons and transfer them to saucepans and int...o bowls.

They engage well in conversation with staff. Older children eagerly take part in singing songs and doing the actions. Children are inquisitive, motivated learners.

Children learn in a relaxed, calm atmosphere. Staff speak to them with respect and offer them lots of praise and encouragement. Children confidently ask staff for help when they need it.

Children are happy and secure and, as a result, behaviour is good. They have formed close relationships with staff and each other. Children are building good social skills, which will support their future development and learning.

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

The caring manager focuses on staff's development and well-being. She provides opportunities for training to support staff's professional development. The manager ensures that staff have regular supervision sessions.

She monitors their practice and ensures all staff maintain good professionalism. Staff have a range of qualifications and experience. They enjoy working at the nursery, and most staff have worked there for lengthy periods.

The team works very well together and demonstrates a genuine passion for working with children.Staff take the time to get to know parents and children when they start at the nursery. They gather useful information from parents to help them get to know their children, including what they like, know and can do.

Staff include children's interests and preferences in shaping the curriculum. Consequently, children settle quickly. Staff assess and monitor children's progress closely.

However, occasionally, staff give children lots of directions about what to do and how to complete activities, rather than encouraging them to think of solutions. The manager recognises there are some weaknesses in teaching and is keen to make improvements.The motivated staff team has created a stimulating outdoor area.

Children delight in playing outdoors. They climb, ride tricycles and use a range of apparatus, including a slide. They explore natural materials, such as soil and sand.

Children practise their physical skills well and begin to learn how to keep themselves healthy, including learning about healthy food and oral health.Children bring their own ideas to their play. For example, they use pens, pencils and chalk with clipboards to draw, make marks and write letters in their name.

Children play with good concentration, engagement and interest.Staff encourage children to count. Children know to match one item to one space.

Older children swiftly and confidently identify numbers one to 10. However, at times, the curriculum for mathematics is not very ambitious for children who are more advanced. As a result, older children's learning in this area is not supported as well as possible.

Stories, books and songs are a priority in the curriculum. Staff read books and sing songs daily, and the children participate with concentration and attention. Children have favourite songs which they request.

Older children eagerly and confidently stand in front of the group and sing, while others participate in the actions. Younger children sit and snuggle up with staff as they read to them. Children are developing a love of reading.

Some children at the nursery speak English as an additional language, and staff are keen to support them. For example, staff have consulted parents to gather some words in children's home languages, to help children settle. Staff have completed training to help support all children to join in play.

However, these strategies are not implemented consistently well. Hence, progress for children learning English as an additional language is not as timely as it could be.Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well.

They work closely with parents and specialist agencies to support children so that they are fully included. Children with SEND make very good progress from their starting points.Partnership with parents is good.

Parents say that they value the sharing of information about their children's learning and are happy with their children's progress. They say that they feel very supported, the manager and staff are easy to approach and their children 'love coming here'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Management and staff have a good understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They know how to identify signs which could indicate that a child may be at risk of harm or abuse. They have a good understanding of the procedures to follow if they have any concerns.

The building and outdoor spaces are safe and secure, and staff carry out detailed daily checks to ensure they remain so. Staff share safeguarding information, such as policies and procedures, with parents. The manager completes Disclosure and Barring Service checks for all staff to help ensure their suitability.

She ensures their ongoing suitability to work with children. Staff have effective safeguarding training and are aware of a range of safeguarding matters, including the 'Prevent' duty and how to report allegations against a staff member. They know the procedures to follow to ensure children are safeguarded effectively.

Children are supported to learn about keeping themselves safe. Most staff hold a paediatric first-aid certificate.

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 develop the quality of teaching even more so they are able to enhance the curriculum provided and extend children's learning further provide a more ambitious curriculum for older children with regards to mathematics, to help enhance their knowledge and skills to higher levels nimplement strategies to support children learning English as an additional language more consistently so they are able to join in activities more effectively and make even better progress.