Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Chesham

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happy and settle well into nursery. They are motivated and have fun exploring the inviting play environment, indoors and outdoors.

Staff support children's imagination. They help younger children to paint using model dinosaurs, while older children build castles out of sand, placing 'gems' in place of windows. Children enjoy dressing up as a police officer when finding out about 'people who help them'.

Children's physical development is promoted well. They use paintbrushes and pencils to make marks and they put puzzles together. Children walk up and down the stairs with growing confidence.

They... are learning to put their shoes on for outdoor play and to use their fork to eat their food. This helps to develop their independence skills. Babies squeal with excitement when getting ready to go outside.

They jump up and down when they play 'sleeping bunnies'. Children learn about good oral health. They have fun brushing pretend teeth, listening to stories and playing games, which prompt discussions about healthy eating.

Older children enjoy being part of the 'children's committee'. They take pride in going to pick the toys that are used in their room.

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

Leaders and managers support their staff team well.

For example, they have introduced incentives to promote staff moral and well-being. Induction procedures are effective and include mandatory training to help all staff understand their role and responsibilities. Leaders and managers mentor and monitor their team effectively.

Staff are encouraged to complete ongoing training to help progress their professional development, such as the leadership training programme.Staff generally provide a challenging curriculum for all children. They identify the skills that children need to acquire before they move to the next room or on to school.

Although on occasions the intent for learning within the activity provided lacks clarity and focus, children generally concentrate for long periods. They receive good levels of support from staff, who talk to children about what they are doing and ask questions to help them think for themselves.Staff support children's communication and language skills.

They encourage children to speak with confidence and to learn the rules in taking turns during conversations. Staff extend children's vocabulary and encourage them to sing songs, follow simple actions and talk about the pictures they see in the book. Younger children use signing, which helps to support their ability to communicate.

For instance, they sign 'pig' to identify the name of the farm animal.Staff support children's behaviour well. They encourage children to talk about how they are feeling.

During play, they remind them to use their 'kind words'. Staff encourage children to share and take turns, for example being at the front of the line to enter the garden. Staff reward children for their good behaviour.

They give positive praise and use incentives, such as earning a brick for their good behaviour. When the jar is full of bricks, children exchange it for a new resource for their room.Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well.

They learn key words in the children's home language, which helps staff understand what children are saying, particularly during settling in. A visual timetable enables children to see what is going to happen next during the daily routine. Staff teach children about different festivals through planned activities, such as painting a tiger for Chinese New Year.

Books in children's home language are freely available to support their communication skills.Parents confirm that they are happy with the care provided. Staff keep parents updated through an app.

This is followed up by discussions when parents come to pick up their children. During the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the staff provided information for parents to support their children's learning. They continue to do so through newsletters.

For example, staff provide information on how to teach children to understand their emotions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and managers implement effective recruitment procedures to check the suitability of the staff who work with children.

Staff implement thorough risk assessments to minimise hazards. For example, the climbing tunnel is not used by the children in wet weather. Staff complete a head count to check that they have the same number of children when they move from indoors to outdoors.

Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of child protection. All staff receive training to help them know and understand the procedures to follow if they are concerned about a child's welfare.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nensure the implementation of planned activities within the curriculum is consistently effective and that all staff understand what they want children to learn.

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