Nelly’s Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The new management team and staff provide a warm and welcoming environment.

Children eagerly come into the nursery and quickly engage in activities with their friends. Staff know their key children well and build close relationships with their parents. As a result, children demonstrate that they feel happy, safe and secure.

Babies form close bonds with staff, who are nurturing and attentive to each child's needs. They enjoy a range of activities, such as messy play and singing songs with staff.Staff's interactions enhance children's knowledge and skills as they play.

For example, older children use planks of w...ood to make tracks for their cars. Staff encourage them to think about how they can make the cars go faster or slower as they elevate one end for them to roll down. Younger children enjoy exploring paint, and staff encourage them to try out different tools.

Staff follow the children's lead well and allow them to try out their own ideas. For example, children experiment by using toy animals to make footprints with. They then go on to use brushes and their hands, mixing the colours and making different patterns.

Staff have high expectations of all children. They talk to children in a calm manner and support their social and emotional needs effectively. Children learn to share resources fairly and to take turns.

They display a positive attitude towards learning and behave well.

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

Managers and staff have a good understanding of their curriculum and what they want children to learn and why. Staff place a lot of focus on developing children's curiosity and imagination.

They know the children well and plan activities based on their interests and next steps. Staff's positive interactions, combined with a wide range of open-ended and natural resources to explore, encourage children to be inquisitive and resourceful. As a result, all children make good progress and are ready for the next stage in their learning.

The management team and staff work well together to evaluate the nursery effectively, looking at what is going well and what they could introduce to help support the children and their families. They collect feedback from parents and children and use this to make improvements and plans for the future. For instance, they would like to introduce workshops for parents about learning through play and how they can support children's development.

Settling-in processes are very good and tailored to meet children's individual needs. However, staff deployment could be better at times during this process to support the staff working with the new children.At times, group activities are not organised as well as possible.

Children are sometimes left waiting and become unengaged, and learning opportunities are missed.Staff support children's developing language skills well. They introduce words, ask questions, use repetition and act as good role models for communication.

For example, staff enthusiastically talk to children as they are creating pictures with natural resources. They discuss where children can place their chosen items and what they are making.Staff strongly encourage children's numeracy skills.

Children confidently use mathematical language during their play and learn about shapes and measures. For example, older children use sticks to measure around shapes and younger children read books and sing number songs to develop their awareness.Managers have high expectations for the children's learning and readiness for school.

They work well with other professionals to provide consistent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.Staff introduce daily routines to children and help them adopt a healthy lifestyle. For example, children know about the importance of washing their hands before eating to reduce the spread of germs.

Younger children learn to socialise and to share fruit with their friends. Older children confidently serve themselves at mealtimes and pour their own drinks.The management team carries out regular peer observations and staff supervision sessions, providing staff with some coaching to improve their practice.

Staff also attend regular training to develop their skills. For example, recent training around behaviour management has supported staff in their understanding of how to deal with different challenging situations.Good partnerships with parents are in place and staff keep parents up to date effectively with their children's learning and give support when needed.

Parents speak highly of the staff and the relationships their children have with them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good understanding of child protection procedures.

They have undertaken regular training to help them to recognise possible signs and symptoms of abuse and identify when a child might need additional support. Managers are aware of a wide range of safeguarding issues and what they should do if they have a concern. Robust recruitment procedures are in place, and managers frequently check staff's ongoing suitability to carry out their roles and responsibilities.

Staff ensure that children are able to play in a safe environment, as they complete regular risk assessments. Stringent policies and procedures are also in place for administering children's medication.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review staff deployment during children's settling-in sessions to ensure that staff can give new children the support they need develop the organisation of some activities in order to maximise children's learning opportunities and their engagement and participation levels.