Norto5 KIDZ - Lindfield

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children leave their parents and carers easily.

They are happy to go to the welcoming staff on arrival. Children have adapted well to the change of arrival routines due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. They are settled and feel safe in the care of staff, who are warm and caring.

The atmosphere of the nursery is calm and all ages of children play harmoniously together. Children develop high levels of curiosity. Even the youngest children are very confident to explore and investigate the varied and interesting activities and resources available.

For example, babies become absorbed as they explored and exp...erimented with tools and dough. They banged a small saucepan on to dough and lentils and then filled the saucepan before tipping and pouring the contents out. This helped to develop their concentration skills and eye-hand coordination effectively.

Children are kind to each other and behave well. The older children provide a good role model to the younger children, such as sharing resources with them. Children know the routines well and show excitement, such as when they get ready to go outdoors.

Children's individual learning needs are known and supported securely by staff, which helps children to make good progress. Overall, staff provide good quality interactions and support to all children. This helps children to continually build on their skills and knowledge through their self-chosen play, along with staff's interactions and support.

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

Staff know their key children very well. This helps them to identify any emerging concerns about children's development and progress appropriately. They seek support from a dedicated and highly qualified and experienced staff member, who offers advice and guidance when required.

In addition, further support is gained from other professionals when needed. This helps to identify any additional support should children need some extra help to catch up.Overall, staff are attentive to children.

They become involved in children's play and activities and help to extend their learning through this. Children had fun when they played in the role-play shop and explored real fruit and vegetables. Staff asked them questions and encouraged them to talk about their ideas.

This helped children to think and respond and use their communication and language skills. However, sometimes, staff do not sustain their interactions as well with children who happily play by themselves and who do not seek out adult interactions.Children enjoy spending time outdoors.

They explore the natural world, including finding different insects to look at and talk about. Children develop their imaginations in the well-resourced mud kitchen as they mix different items together and 'cook'. They enjoy stories being read in the playhouse and learn to manage steps inside, which helps to support their physical development.

Children are able to create with planks of wood and tyres to make their own climbing structures under the supervision and support of staff. This helps provide challenge to children, including working as a team and learning about how to manage risks.Children enjoy healthy snacks, which they help to prepare.

Staff support children and show them how to use knives safely to cut up fruit, such as bananas. Children are starting to learn about making healthy choices through discussions and the choice of snacks offered. Although, children develop some independence and self-care skills well, on occasion, staff step in quickly to offer children help.

This does not allow children enough time to try to do things for themselves, such as manage their own clothing.Staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and the aims of the curriculum, including how to support children's learning through play. They know how to adapt their teaching to support children's different ages and abilities.

Staff say they are happy working at the nursery and feel well supported by the management team. Staff have access to training and professional development opportunities to help enhance their skills and practice.Parents say their children like coming to nursery and are happy on arrival.

The managers and staff provide regular information to parents, such as daily handover chats, emails and information through the parent portal. Staff take steps to understand each family's uniqueness. For instance, they talk to parents about how to celebrate special times of the year to help include and reflect individual families.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a secure understanding of safeguarding matters. They know how to identify possible indicators of abuse and neglect and how to manage any concerns about children, should they arise.

The managers and staff are able to recognise signs that may raise their concerns about staff's behaviours. They understand who to report concerns about staff to outside of the nursery. Staff supervise children closely and complete risk assessments to help promote their safety.

The managers have reflected on the recruitment process recently and made further improvements to make it more robust. This helps to check staff's suitability to work with children effectively.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: monitor staff practice more closely and develop the quality of their interactions with children who are quieter and who happily play without adult attention, to support these children's learning and development more effectively build on staff's awareness of allowing children time to try to do things for themselves, to help support children's independence and self-care skills even further.