Newcastle College Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

The manager and her team work incredibly hard to create a stimulating and welcoming environment to inspire children's curiosity and exploration. Staff take plenty of time to get to know each child's needs and interests extremely well and follow their lead in play activities. A wealth of high-quality resources, including natural materials and everyday objects, are easily available indoors and outside.

Children of all ages relish having adventures outdoors. For instance, children giggle as they play hide and seek with staff, while babies happily practise their new skills of crawling or walking. Those who are not yet mobile..., lie on soft blankets and are sheltered in small tents, underneath the branches of trees.

Staff provide frequent praise and encouragement, and supervise children very well, although also allowing them much freedom to explore for themselves. Children form exceptionally close bonds with all staff and are clearly valued for their unique qualities. They are very settled, confident and hugely eager to learn.

Their behaviour is consistently and outstandingly good, which reflects the high expectations of the entire staff team. Children are keen to help each other with routine tasks, such as finding and putting on their shoes. They spontaneously say 'please' and 'thank you'.

Staff are respectful and kind, and they model good manners throughout routines and activities.

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

The well-qualified management team and staff are enormously passionate about their inclusive nursery. The quality of the provision is carefully reviewed by the highly effective management team.

They reflect on children's achievements, and seek the views of staff, parents and professionals to inform continuous improvements.Parents are completely complimentary about the warm, calm, caring family atmosphere the staff create and the progress they see their children make. Staff frequently provide helpful information for parents, including face to face and through an informative website.

This promotes a consistent approach to children's development, including ideas for continuing learning at home. Parents greatly appreciate advice from staff on a range of subjects, from toilet training to encouraging children to try new foods.Staff recognise every play experience as a potential learning opportunity and are knowledgeable about how children learn best.

They organise indoor and outdoor areas where babies and young children safely investigate and use resources in different ways. Children are motivated to have a go and solve problems. For example, they use magnets to test out their theories about different materials.

Babies delight in trying to catch bubbles or focusing on balls with flashing lights.Stories and singing are woven through children's play. Children proudly identify different features of books, including the blurb, spine and illustrations.

They join in songs and rhymes that help them to count and do simple calculations. This supports the development of their early language, literacy and mathematical skills in preparation for future learning and the move on to school.Careful monitoring ensures every child makes excellent progress from their starting points and gaps in learning are swiftly addressed.

The needs of children who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are prioritised. Staff give an ongoing commentary to children's play, introduce and repeat new words clearly, and use signing to reinforce their understanding. They work highly effectively with other professionals to provide any extra support needed.

Partnerships with other settings attended by children are strongly supported by managers.Children enjoy exciting trips to the theatre, art gallery and museums nearby. Furthermore, they enjoy visits from members of the community, including a therapy dog and a paramedic.

These experiences help children to understand about the wider world and to develop their marvellous social skills.Staff take part in an ongoing and targeted training programme and are enthusiastic about continuing to develop their knowledge, skills and interests. They say that their well-being is vitally important to the management team and that they feel they make a real difference to children and their families.

Regular supervision and feedback about their teaching skills help to ensure that all staff contribute to the high standards set by the manager and her deputies.Children learn about making healthy food choices. Staff talk to them about the benefits of nutritious ingredients.

Children help to grow vegetables in the outside area, which are then made into soup. Staff sit with children and babies as they eat, which encourages them to try new foods that they later have at home. Children follow exemplary hygiene routines and enjoy fresh air and vigorous exercise together daily.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and her deputies ensure that staff benefit from regular safeguarding training. Staff confidently talk about the child protection procedures.

They know the steps that they must take if they have a concern about a child's safety or welfare. Managers act quickly where there are concerns about a child's well-being. They work in strong partnerships with other professionals.

Information about wider safeguarding issues is shared with staff in innovative ways so that they are knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. The manager has a robust knowledge of following safe recruitment guidelines to ensure new staff are suitable. Staff support children to learn how to keep themselves safe, for instance when crossing roads.

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