Noah’s Ark Nursery Hebburn

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are very happy in this friendly and caring nursery.

Children arrive happily in the morning and sing the welcome song with enthusiasm. Toddlers thoroughly enjoy playing peekaboo with their friends and staff. Parents comment that staff go above and beyond to support families and their children.

They say that staff are always available to provide additional reassurance. Children develop a very good awareness of how they can keep themselves safe. Older children learn how to use tools.

For example, they use knives with control as they chop vegetables or spread cream cheese on their sandwich. Staff teach ch...ildren to check for dangers themselves. For example, when children play with large blocks in the construction area, they check that their tower is not too tall.

Staff have high expectations of what children can achieve. For example, they seize opportunities to develop older children's writing skills when children are building outside. Staff encourage children to write labels for the 'office' they build.

Children enjoy learning and demonstrate good concentration overall. They behave well. For example, children respond quickly when they are asked to tidy up.

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

Staff working with babies support them well. They use simple language and are very attentive to their needs. For example, staff respond quickly when a child is tired.

They plan stimulating activities to engage children. Babies are fascinated as they explore water on a tray. They beam in delight as they splash in it and mix it.

Children learn how to keep themselves healthy. Staff give them clear and consistent messages regarding healthy eating, fresh air and exercise. They provide children with balanced meals and healthy desserts, such as fruit and natural yoghurt.

Staff help parents to support their children's oral hygiene. For example, they signpost parents to local dentists if parents have not registered their children by the age of two years.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported very well.

Staff know the children well. They are alert to children's individual needs and respond quickly to any signs that children may be getting uneasy or want to do something else. Staff work incredibly well with other professionals.

The special educational needs coordinator goes above and beyond to support children. For example, they liaise with various local authorities to ensure that children's needs are met.Children concentrate well overall.

Older children are highly engaged as they explore seeds in vegetables or mouldable soap outside. Staff know what they want children to learn and generally support children's learning well. However, they have not thought about how they can support all children's stage of development during some large-group activities.

This causes two-year-old children to lose concentration and not all children demonstrate high levels of engagement. When this happens, it can be distracting for older children too.The manager and the provider carry out regular supervision sessions to provide support and coaching for staff.

They carry out observations of staff's practice to improve the quality of teaching. However, their monitoring and supervision are not sufficiently thorough to identify all minor inconsistencies in practice. For example, staff do not always consider children's stage of development when putting out resources in the writing area.

All children, including those in receipt of funding, make good progress. Staff use funding effectively to support children's learning. They have used recent funding to provide resources, such as trampettes, to help children to regulate their emotions.

The provider has made the decision that her staff are her most useful resource. She employs extra staff to provide additional support for children who need extra help with their communication or emotional development.The provider and the manager constantly evaluate how they can improve the nursery.

They link staff's professional development to the improvement plan. For example, staff are currently undertaking training to enhance the outdoor provision. This is improving the way that staff plan for children's experiences outside, including when they visit the local park.

Staff have developed strong partnerships with parents. Parents comment that they know what their children are doing and how they can support them at home. They say that they like the photos that they receive via electronic communication.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There are good procedures in place to keep children safe. For example, all doors into the building are secure.

This ensures that no unauthorised visitors can enter the setting. The manager and her staff team have a strong understanding of signs that may indicate possible abuse to children. Staff access regular professional development opportunities to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.

They know the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child. Staff give clear messages to children and their families about how they can keep themselves safe online.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nensure that group activities support children's stage of development to enhance their engagement and concentration strengthen supervision and monitoring arrangements to identify and address minor inconsistencies in staff's practice.