Munchkins Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The management team works closely with staff to develop a strong vision and ethos within the nursery. Children are happy and well cared for in this large, spacious setting. The nursery rooms are welcoming and stimulating, and they are tailored to support the age of the children and their development.

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure by confidently exploring the indoor and outdoor spaces. Children and babies enjoy a wide range of messy-play activities and explore different textures. For example, staff hide objects in oats for babies to find and older children enjoy making marks in shaving foam.

Staff ...place a strong focus on developing communication and language skills. For example, staff ask children questions and introduce new words during stories and small-group activities. Staff have high expectations for every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff act as good role models. Therefore, children behave extremely well. They follow the rules and boundaries of the nursery and know what is expected of them.

Staff use effective strategies to help even the youngest children increase their independence and self-help skills. For instance, they take off their own coats and shoes and know where to place their own belongings.

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

Staff develop strong bonds with individual children through an effective key-person system.

They are skilful at meeting children's physical and emotional needs. Staff are sensitive and caring. They offer reassurance to children when they are unsettled or require support.

This helps to build children's confidence and emotional well-being.Staff form good partnerships with parents, and they gather a good range of information about children's care needs and development when they start at the nursery. Parents are complimentary about the nursery; they comment on the range of ways they are kept informed about their children's progress.

Children with SEND are well supported. A knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator works alongside staff and other professionals to implement individual plans to help children to catch up in their learning. As a result, all children are making good progress.

Children learn to be independent and are starting to do things for themselves. For example, young children learn to take off their own coat and shoes and wash their hands independently. Older children access water from their drink bottles and serve themselves at snack times and breakfast.

Children enjoy listening to stories, individually and in small groups. Children enthusiastically join in, repeating key parts of the story; they demonstrate good listening and attention skills. Children also access a lending library to encourage reading at home.

Children enjoy extracurricular activities, such as French lessons and music sessions, which are provided in the nursery to further enrich children learning. Parents are pleased with the extra activities on offer.Staff know the children extremely well; they monitor progress and use their observations to assess children's learning and development accurately.

Staff plan activities based on children's interests, which supports them to achieve their next steps in learning. However, staff do not always make effective use of opportunities to extend children's understanding of mathematical concepts.Staff benefit from a well-established programme of training and development, including appraisal and supervision with a manager.

For example, training to support children's communication and language skills has supported staff to develop a deeper understanding of speech and language development. Overall, the quality of teaching is good. However, systems to coach and mentor staff practice are not yet sharply focused to raise the quality of teaching consistently to the highest level.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The management team and staff demonstrate a sound knowledge and understanding of safeguarding. They are aware of the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child's welfare.

Staff complete regular training and discuss safeguarding scenarios during staff meetings to enhance their knowledge. Staff are aware of the whistle-blowing policy and how to manage allegations made against staff. They are aware of wider safeguarding matters including the 'Prevent' duty guidance.

The management team implements robust recruitment, selection and induction procedures. There are comprehensive risk assessments, including daily checks and a health and safety learning walk.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide further coaching and support for staff to further improve the quality of teaching to a consistently high level make greater use of opportunities to help children to use their learning about mathematics in everyday activities and play.