Newpark Childcare Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

When young children first arrive, they eagerly show staff reading books from home. They point to pictures, name vehicles and press buttons to hear a story in Greek, for example. Children very quickly settle in this tremendously vibrant and exciting environment.

Staff deployment is excellent, and they consistently engage all children in play and learning. Children establish very positive attachments with their key person. Every member of staff gets to know all children exceptionally well in the nursery.

Babies, toddlers and older children play and learn together. Staff supervise babies at all times to maintain th...eir safety. This means children from a very young age learn essential skills.

For example, they show interest in other children's play, learn and play alongside one another, and begin to share toys. Children's behaviour is excellent and they are emotionally secure. Children are very kind and caring towards each other.

For instance, older children rub babies' backs as they drift off to sleep, and toddlers consistently give each other cuddles. Older children politely ask if they can join others in their play. Staff know parents and the local community extremely well, and make excellent use of local resources.

For instance, children thoroughly enjoy daily outings to secure local parks, museums and a library. This means children begin to develop a secure sense of self within their local community.

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

Children consistently show enjoyment and curiosity.

Babies keenly crawl, cruise furniture and toddle as they explore the stimulating environment with enthusiasm. For example, they are fascinated by the sound of beads rattling inside metallic egg-shakers. Older children cover their eyes with a blindfold and concentrate when they try to identify different textures, such as rough and smooth.

Children learn new skills, for example how to cut stems and arrange flowers in tiny vases, which are then displayed throughout the nursery. Most days they eagerly bake bread. Staff provide easily accessible resources and experiences for children to successfully combine their learning and development.

For instance, children choose ingredients to make bread, such as flour, oils and real herbs.All children, including babies, benefit from excellent opportunities to extend and practise their physical skills indoors and during outings. For example, babies and toddlers skilfully master stairs and slopes with increasing ease, confidence and control.

Highly qualified and experienced staff provide exceptional opportunities to promote children's communication and language skills. Staff plan many language activities to help expand children's vocabulary on directional and positional relationships, such as 'over here', 'at the top' and 'on the bottom'. Children listen intently to instruction.

They keenly place real vegetables, such as peppers, carrots and sweet potatoes, in different positions.The curriculum is inspirational, ambitious and well planned to meet children's interests and individual needs. Staff have an outstanding knowledge of the curriculum that they implement, which leads to extremely positive outcomes for every child.

Children are very well equipped for the next stages in their learning, and move on to school with the knowledge of how to become good citizens.Staff encourage fine motor activities in preparation for children's early writing. They make excellent use of the Montessori element of the curriculum to facilitate this.

For instance, children concentrate when they use their fingers to copy letters in a tray of flour. Leaders provide a variety of extra-curricular activities to extend children's experiences and learning. For example, children participate keenly in cooking and gardening sessions, and begin to say single words in Spanish.

All children are tremendously motivated and eager learners.The nursery places a strong emphasis on literacy and mathematics. For example, babies enjoy looking at cloth and board books, and toddlers independently select their favourite books.

They turn pages carefully and point to the pictures. Older children keenly listen to stories and recall their favourite parts. Staff's expert teaching skills build and combine what children know and can do.

For instance, children complete complex problems such as joining golden beads together to make cubes from 10 to 1000.Leaders provide outstanding childcare. They consistently and securely scrutinise strengths and identify where areas can be improved.

Staff's extremely successful professional development opportunities help to keep their knowledge and teaching skills current and of very high quality. Staff say they are very well supported to further develop their already excellent skills and well-being.There are exceptional partnerships with parents, who say that the nursery is 'very special'.

Staff keep parents very well informed of their children's progress in a variety of ways. For example, parents regularly attend meetings, and key persons routinely share children's learning journals with them. Along with daily verbal feedback, all of these provide a tremendously consistent approach to children's learning and development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Children's safety is of the highest priority. Safety checks are completed prior to outings, and police keep leaders fully informed of major incidents in the local area, to help maintain children's safety at the highest level.

Children learn how to keep themselves safe, for example in the event of a fire or around road safety. Leaders and staff demonstrate excellent knowledge of their safeguarding responsibilities. They regularly attend safeguarding training to further increase their knowledge.

This helps them to identify, understand and respond to signs of possible abuse or neglect. Leaders and staff understand their role to protect children from extreme views and beliefs. They can confidently explain the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child's safety.