Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Tatsfield

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy their time at the nursery.

Babies develop the confidence to try new things, such as exploring materials of different textures. They make good use of the resources in their room to develop their physical strength and coordination. For example, babies have a lot of fun as they climb and work out different ways to travel down a slide.

Older children play happily with their friends and enthusiastically take part in activities. Overall, they enjoy the freedom they receive to explore their environments and choose the games they want to play. Throughout the nursery, children use art materials, construct structu...res and learn about topics, including road safety.

Activities planned by staff, such as making crowns of leaves, successfully engage children's interest and offer a high level of challenge. The older children particularly enjoy the outdoor area, where they engage in energetic games with their friends or move with control as they balance.All children learn to behave well and develop good social skills.

The warm, caring interactions of staff help children to relax, and they chat happily as they play.

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

The nursery is going through a period of transition. There have been substantial changes to the staffing structure in recent months and a new management team is in place.

Since taking up her post, the manager has focused on identifying areas for improvement. With the support of her deputy managers, she has prioritised action plans effectively. These are being implemented at a pace that allows changes to be fully embedded.

Staff know their key children well and, overall, are embracing the newly introduced systems for planning activities. Staff are successful in providing activities that children enjoy. However, they are not all fully confident in identifying exactly what they want children to gain from each activity.

As a result, although learning takes place, this is not always targeted as precisely as possible. The manager has a very good insight into the weaknesses around this issue, and her action plans include increased support for individual staff.Staff are skilled at promoting language.

Those working with the babies use opportunities, including nappy changing, to engage in meaningful exchanges. They repeat key words, such as 'stuck' and 'sticky', during activities, helping the youngest children to learn new vocabulary. Older children speak confidently as they ask questions and share their opinions.

There are good-quality toys, furniture and other resources in sufficient quantities to meet children's needs. The outside area is very inviting and successfully supports children's learning and enjoyment. The indoor spaces are equally effective in engaging children's interests but are not organised as effectively to meet their needs.

The sleeping arrangements in the baby room mean that the play opportunities for some children are limited as they have to wait for others to wake up. Nappy changing for older children takes place in their group room. Staff do their best to respect children's dignity, but there are sometimes unpleasant smells in areas where children play.

There are good arrangements to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The special educational needs coordinator works effectively with each child's key person, parents and other relevant professionals to put in place strategies to meet their individual needs. For example, a quiet space is set aside for specific children to use if they begin to feel anxious.

Children benefit from the freedom to express themselves creatively. They use the skills they learn, such as colour mixing and printing, to produce unique artwork. Staff encourage children to explore their own ideas.

For example, children choose what materials they want to use to decorate their Christmas bags and decide what they want to make to go inside.Partnerships with parents are improving as the manager has taken action to address some parental concerns about communication. A programme of meetings has been effective in bringing parents up to date with information about their children's progress.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager takes lead responsibility for safeguarding and fully understands her role. She ensures that the staff team maintains an up-to-date knowledge of the potential signs that a child may be at risk.

This includes the risks associated with extreme views and beliefs. The premises are secured through electronic keypads, and staff supervise children effectively as they travel between the indoor and outdoor environments.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide staff with the support they need to be more precise in their planning so that activities are consistently successful in promoting the intended learning review and improve the use of space and resources indoors to better suit children's needs, particularly regarding sleeping arrangements in the baby room and nappy changing throughout the nursery.