My First Friends Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and well cared for. They forge close relationships with staff and often seek them out for a reassuring cuddle. Overall, children behave well.

Pre-school children talk about the rules of the nursery. They work together to tidy away toys and learn to be kind and respectful to their friends and staff. Children are inquisitive and curious to investigate activities.

Younger children have fun as they play with bubble wrap. They laugh and giggle as they listen to the popping sound that it makes. Staff encourage children to explore the texture with their hands and feet.

Older children learn about si...milarities and differences between themselves and their friends. They look in mirrors and compare the colour of their eyes and hair. They carefully replicate what they see, using paint to make a self-portrait.

Children are proud of their achievements. Staff provide praise and encouragement, which raises children's self-esteem.

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

The nursery benefits from a strong leadership and management team.

The manager is knowledgeable and has a clear vision for the nursery and what she wants children to learn. She is supported in her role by senior managers from the company that has recently acquired the nursery. They work well together to identify areas for improvement to move the nursery forward.

Staff attend training to further their knowledge. The manager is supportive of staff and is keen for them to continue their professional development. She recognises and works to staff's strengths and encourages them to take on additional roles and responsibilities to enhance their skills.

Regular supervision meetings, five-minute chat times and an open-door policy for staff to speak to the manager at any time provide staff with support and make them feel valued.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are extremely well supported. The special educational needs coordinator is experienced and provides support throughout the nursery.

She works closely with children, staff, parents and other professionals to ensure that children receive the support they need to enable them to succeed at their own level and in their own time.Children's communication and language are given high priority. The use of a screening tool enables staff to quickly identify any concerns and seek additional support when needed.

Staff model language and sounds to younger children from an early age and encourage them to respond. For example, staff engage with younger children during their play as they make dinosaur sounds and encourage them to repeat the names of objects they see in a book.Older children look at books and listen to stories.

However, sometimes, the organisation of the group means that some children are unable to see. This hinders their enjoyment and ability to participate fully. In addition, when children do become engrossed in a story, they are sometimes asked to leave to carry out routine tasks, such as washing their hands.

This leaves children frustrated as they are unable to see the story through to its conclusion.Children make good progress in their learning. However, there are not always enough resources available for children to fully enjoy.

The same activities are put out during the morning and afternoon sessions, even though some children attend for the whole day. Staff do not provide children with enough opportunities to make choices and develop their own play. Sometimes, staff do not recognise when children lose interest and disengage or need additional help with the task they are trying to complete.

Children's health and well-being are given top priority. Staff are vigilant to ensure children who have allergies or dietary requirements are provided with the correct food. Children enjoy healthy meals.

Younger children feed themselves independently, and older children serve themselves and pour their own drinks. However, the organisation of lunchtime for the older children sometimes becomes a little chaotic, especially when staff move away from the table.Partnerships with parents are generally good.

Parents speak highly of the care their children receive. Staff hold parents' evenings and workshops to inform them about the curriculum. However, the way that information is shared has recently changed to an online app, and there has been a gap in the amount of information provided.

As a result, parents feel they would like more information about their child's learning and how they can continue to support this at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Children's safety and well-being are given high priority.

All staff attend safeguarding training and are continually kept up to date with any changes. They are aware of the types of abuse and the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child. Allegations are dealt with swiftly and reported to the appropriate agencies.

Robust recruitment procedures ensure that all staff working with children are safe and suitable to do so. The premises are safe and secure.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consider the organisation of activities and daily routines so that all children are able to fully participate and learning is not disrupted provide children with a wide range of activities that enhance their learning and enable them to make choices in their play, and support staff to recognise when children are not engaged, lose interest or need additional help review the information shared with parents to ensure they are fully aware of their child's next steps and how to support them in their learning.