Old Dairy Farm Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children play an active part in nursery life. They talk happily about how they care for different animals as part of their daily routine. Children are excited to observe how living things grow and change.

Babies squeal with delight and clap their hands together as they listen to songs. They show that they feel safe by reaching out their arms towards their key person to indicate when they want to be picked up. Older children respectfully listen to adults and follow instructions.

Staff provide plenty of chances for children to engage in conversation. Toddlers voice their own opinions and make decisions. Older children us...e complex language and share ideas to enhance their own experiences.

For instance, children designed their own tadpoles. They confidently recalled previous learning when they described the life cycle of a frog. Children collected creative resources and collaborated well with friends, carefully using scissors to cut fabric and tape.

Staff throughout the nursery organise a stimulating range of activities across the curriculum. However, the routine is slightly less well organised in the pre-school area just before lunch and, as a result, children experience a delay in their routine.

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

Children display good levels of personal confidence and independence.

Toddlers cut up their own food and feed themselves, carefully negotiating food towards their mouths. They sit and listen carefully for their names when staff call the register. They are eager to engage in conversation with their key person.

The management team provides plenty of chances for staff to share their feelings and experiences. Staff report that the management team cares about their well-being. They are easily able to access additional support if they need to talk about any challenges they face.

Parents report that they are happy with the standard of care staff provide for their children. Staff frequently share observations about children's learning with parents, for example via the online system. They also hold regular conversations with parents whenever possible.

They fully involve parents in their children's education.When a child first starts at nursery, staff collect a range of details about them from parents and carers. However, staff do not make full use of this information to develop their knowledge about children and to gain the fullest picture of their home life.

The management team precisely targets training to meet the needs of staff, taking into account the children they work with. For instance, a member of staff who works mostly in the garden learned how to teach more of the curriculum outdoors. She shared her new-found knowledge with colleagues to support their professional development.

Children cooperate with friends to take managed risks in a safe way. During the inspection, they carefully arranged obstacles of different heights across the grass. They opened their arms to keep their balance as they ran, climbed and jumped across different obstacles.

The manager checks ratios are well maintained across the nursery. However, at times, such as the later part of the morning, staff are not as well deployed. As a result, older children wait longer to use resources and there is slight disruption before children move indoors.

Staff provide good support for some younger children who have struggled on their return to the nursery, following a long period of time at home. Staff offer plenty of emotional support to help children relax into play in the morning.Staff across the nursery praise the good achievements of children.

During the inspection, staff worked with older children and they revisited a book they had designed together. Children talked about parts of the narrative they had created. Staff have high expectations for all children in their care.

Children develop good communication and writing skills. They are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager, who is also the designated safeguarding officer, knows to escalate concerns about children's welfare to the safeguarding partnership, to protect children's welfare. Staff frequently refresh their knowledge of safeguarding and they are aware of their responsibilities to keep children safe. They know if they have concerns about the management of the setting or the behaviour of colleagues to seek advice from the local authority designated officer.

The manager regularly reviews details of all accidents and incident reports. She checks whether there are any issues she needs to investigate further as part of her role.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: monitor deployment of staff in the pre-school area, particularly before lunch, so that the needs of all children are met at all times make the best use of information provided by parents and carers when children first start, to gain the fullest picture of children's home life.