Once Upon A Time Day Nurseries

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

As children arrive, staff warmly greet them with hugs and shouts of hello. Children separate easily from their parents as they are eager to see what activities staff have creatively planned and arranged for them.

The curriculum is ambitious as staff include learning tailored for all children. The key-person system is effective as staff get to know children extremely well, including what their interests are and how to support them in their play. Consequently, children are confident to ask for help and reassurance if they need it as they feel secure knowing that staff will respond.

Staff are positive role models and enco...urage children to play together cooperatively. They offer praise and encouragement to build children's self-esteem. Children's behaviour is good.

Children learn to respect others and value differences. For example, staff teach them about festivals from other cultures and religions. Staff support children's understanding of safety.

For example, they explain why children need to be careful when there is water on the floor. Staff provide opportunities for children to have daily exercise and fresh air. Children have access to the outside play area.

They enjoy playing in the outdoors, for example in the mud kitchen or using bicycles and tricycles to manoeuvre around the space. Staff identify children with additional needs quickly. They put individual support plans in place and make referrals to ensure that all children make progress.

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

Staff plan and present activities with individualised learning goals for all children. They complete initial assessments when children have fully settled. Experienced staff quickly identify gaps in children's development.

They use their observations to refer children for further support or to initiate support strategies. Staff assess the impact of interventions and build strong relationships with children. Children make good progress from their starting points in learning.

Staff follow children's interests. For example, children put potatoes and leeks in a bucket to transport them from the home corner to the water tray and back again. They select chopping boards and request knives to cut with.

Staff provide children with equipment to complete the task of chopping the vegetables. All children remain fully engaged, sharing the vegetables and building confidence as they succeed at their self-chosen task.Children who speak English as an additional language make the transition into nursery well.

Staff request key words in children's home languages. They support children's spoken languages in nursery by using visuals and introducing Makaton signs to support children's speech. Staff provide consistent support to help all children to develop their communication skills.

Children follow hygiene routines in preparation for lunch. They wash their hands before sitting down to eat. Children make their preferences known, such as by choosing what they would like to have on their plate.

Staff encourage children to taste each part of the meal. Children share how they like broccoli, encouraging each other to eat. However, staff do not consistently manage the transition time after lunch as well.

This means that children appear unsure of what to do as staff do not give them clear directions.Staff support children well to develop their social interactions with their peers. They facilitate turn-taking with children, such as during a game of animal dominoes.

Children look intently at the cards being put down, commenting on what they can see, laughing and sharing their observations. They scan the dominoes to see who can go next, gently prompting their friends if they can 'go'. However, on occasion, staff do not consistently incorporate opportunities for children to discuss and compare numbers and shapes during activities.

Parents universally share how happy they are with the progress their children make. They feel up to date and included in their children's learning. Parents find the nursery through recommendations from other families and go on to suggest the nursery to other families.

Staff make 'celebration books' with photos of events and activities to demonstrate to parents the range of different experiences their children have while attending nursery.Leaders and managers are very aware of the needs of the local community. They plan days out for whole families to experience together.

Leaders use additional funding to help children make good progress. For example, staff have undertaken Makaton training to support children's language and communication development. Staff feel valued and supported to raise any training needs with leaders.

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: manage times of transition to ensure that children have clear directions and know what is expected of them nincorporate opportunities for children to count and use space, shape and measures during activities.

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