Nuffy Bear Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children settle quickly in to play on arrival at the nursery. They are greeted by familiar staff who are kind and nurturing towards them.

Children build close relationships with staff and readily go to them for cuddles and comfort, which they receive in abundance. This helps children to feel safe and secure in their care. Babies begin to explore nearby areas of the play environment.

For example, they use their imagination in the role-play area, picking up cups to pretend to drink, and know how to use other equipment as they pretend to chop food with a wooden knife. Staff engage all children well in stories. For example..., toddlers and older children particularly enjoy helping to retell the sequence of a popular story of a bear hunt, using props that are thoughtfully prepared by staff.

They delight in exploring the textures of cotton wool and branches used to represent the different areas of woodlands during the story.The nursery atmosphere is calm as children play and engage with staff in their chosen activities. Staff gently remind children to be kind to their friends and use good manners.

They model respectful behaviours and support children to learn how to resolve minor matters for themselves. Children routinely use their good manners at mealtimes. Children gain the skills and understanding they need to help prepare them for their next stages of learning.

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

The nursery curriculum is ambitious, with clear intentions for what they want children to achieve and when. Staff use information gained from parents when children first start to help them to understand about children's prior learning and what to teach them next. Staff monitor children's progress during their play interactions and observations, which helps them know when children have learned and are ready to move on.

Communication and language is promoted well. Children enjoy a wealth of stories, interesting discussions and singing throughout the day. For example, babies sit to turn the pages of board books and focus on the pictures.

They enjoy listening to songs and begin to make sounds as they join in with the actions they know. Older children giggle and become excited to join in when staff speed up the singing and actions to point to their body parts.Children become increasingly independent over time.

For example, babies feed themselves competently and learn to drink from unlidded cups during mealtimes while older children become increasingly competent at using cutlery and pouring their drinks. Toddlers learn to manage their personal care and when to wash their hands to keep them healthy. This helps to raise children's self-esteem and confidence in their abilities.

The play environment for toddlers and pre-school-age children has been adapted to enable children the space to play, have quiet time and create and explore. However, the arrangement of the play spaces for the youngest children leaves some areas, such as for construction, unused at times while the busier areas for climbing where children become excited are beside the areas for rest, where quiet is more needed.In general, staff provide children with high-quality play interactions across the nursery.

Children are keen to play with them and gain staff support when needed. For example, during discussions, staff extend children's thinking to decide which pieces they need to use to include other equipment in their train track. Children use their imaginations and problem-solving skills well.

However, at times, when involved in play, staff do not position themselves to view the remainder of the room to provide other children with the support that they also may need.Children strengthen their larger muscles and have fun while they exert their energy. For example, babies climb in and out of a ball pit.

They position their hands ready and squeal with delight as staff build anticipation before rolling a ball to them. Older children build an obstacle course using various crates and take turns to practise their balancing skills to walk along it. They run about excitedly while staff begin a game using road signs of 'stop' and 'go'.

Managers are committed to continually developing the nursery provision for children. They monitor an ongoing programme of support, guidance and training. This ensures that staff continue their professional development, procedures are robustly followed and the learning provision for children is enhanced.

Parents speak highly of the nursery and say that their children are happy attending. They comment on children's close relationships with staff and how well their children have settled in. Parents are pleased with the regular information they receive about their child's care and learning progress.

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: review the play environment for the youngest children to enable children to make the most use of the play experiences that are on offer support staff to deploy themselves more effectively so that all children are provided with the support to engage in purposeful learning and build on their existing skills and knowledge.