Northgate House Childcare Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happily engaged in their play and learning across the nursery. The youngest children use resources that support them to strengthen the muscles in their legs and explore different sensory materials.

Staff model language for them and encourage them to say new words. Children in the toddler rooms enjoy making marks with a range of materials. They giggle as they use tools to make marks in a tray of paint and bubbles.

Staff support children enthusiastically and offer a good running commentary as they play. In the pre-school room, children learn to understand different emotions and discuss their feelings with a ...member of staff. Children explore big boxes of shredded paper to find metal items with magnets.

They look fascinated as items stick together. Staff encourage plenty of exercise and fresh air for children. They support children to take turns and play safely on the trampoline outside.

Children who struggle to take turns are given sand timers to help them wait for their turn. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families are supported to complete referrals to outside agencies. Staff plan tailored activities that meet children's individual needs.

For example, children spend time exploring sensory items in a bucket and play in small groups with staff to develop their social skills.

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

The provider and manager support staff to access a wide variety of training. For instance, they enjoy an annual training day to develop their teaching skills and refresh their safeguarding knowledge.

This gives staff the opportunity to network with the team from their sister nursery and share best practice. Staff also choose from a variety of online training courses every month for their professional development. Staff report that they are supported well in their roles by the manager.

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) works closely with key persons, parents and outside agencies to make sure children have access to specialised support. For example, the SENCO attends local authority training with parents to learn more about supporting their children's needs.Staff plan a good range of activities, which cover all areas of learning.

However, at times, opportunities to use the language of mathematics are not taken during activities. This means that children do not routinely develop their counting skills or use mathematical language throughout daily activities to maximise their understanding.The manager evaluates her setting well and identifies which areas of the curriculum need to be developed further.

For example, following the COVID-19 pandemic, the manager implemented a new focus on literacy and communication. The positive impact of this can be seen throughout the nursery.Pre-school children approach staff with books to read, and explore letters and tell staff the sounds that they make.

Babies explore board books and enjoy a weekly song time session from a visiting musician.Across the nursery, children behave well and confidently explore their surroundings. In pre-school, children are seen to give each other a hug and help each other to create a 'nursery' for their animals.

Pre-school children report that their favourite activities are making play dough and outdoor play. Staff in the baby room give reassurance and support to new babies. They settle in very quickly and form good bonds with their key persons.

Staff plan occasional community activities, such as taking children for walks around woodland and the model village. Children learn about festivals at certain times of the year. However, the overall curriculum for people, culture, and communities is not as strong as other areas of learning.

Opportunities for learning about similarities and differences are not routinely planned into children's activities.Management outline clear learning intentions for children in every room. Children learn skills in a sequence and build up to goals such as making a pizza by following instructions.

They learn to develop balance and then move on to ride on a balance bike. Staff encourage children's independence with daily self-help skills, such as pouring drinks and taking off shoes. Children choose when to have snack in pre-school and dress independently for outdoor play.

Parents speak highly of the support for their children. They say that their children greatly enjoy attending and excitedly run in, in the morning. Staff share ideas to continue learning at home via newsletters and an app, which parents very much appreciate.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to introduce more mathematical language into activities and everyday routines to develop children's mathematical knowledge and understanding build on the existing curriculum for people and communities to support children to develop their knowledge about similarities and differences even further.