Perfect Start Day Nursery Cobham

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, safe and comfortable with staff in the nursery. Children thoroughly enjoy the wide range of resources within the nursery and always engage in play. They enjoy spending time in the garden area.

There are ample opportunities for physical exercise outdoors, including water play and tyres. This helps them to understand the world around them. Children form secure attachments with staff who are caring, respectful and act as positive role models.

For example, staff ask children if they are ready to wash their hands. Children are treated as individuals and are asked to help with tidying up or setting the ta...ble. As a result, children respect their environment and take responsibility.

Children behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning. Therefore, children show high levels of engagement in activities of their choosing, such as a treasure hunt in the sand tray.Staff promptly identify and plan effectively for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring all children are included equally.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, staff identified children's personal and emotional development as a focus. Staff clearly and effectively manage this across all age-group rooms. They challenge children's behaviour where necessary and a behaviour plan is put in place when needed.

As a result of this, children behave well and regulate their feelings and emotions.

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

The conscientious management team helps to ensure all staff feel valued and that all children, including children with SEND, reach their potential. The manager and staff work tirelessly with parents and other professionals to ensure these children are fully supported with their development.

As a result, all children make good progress.Staff plan a wide range of interesting activities to support children's individual needs and interests across all areas of learning. The leaders have a clear vision for the curriculum and make sure that this vision is shared by the staff, including for behaviour management.

However, staff do not always fully understand the skills and knowledge that they want children to gain from activities and the impact of these on children's development.Children develop important self-care skills in readiness for school. Older children take themselves to the toilet, and staff teach them the importance of thoroughly washing their hands.

On occasion, younger children enjoy the responsibility of serving their own meals at lunchtime. However, staff do not always support children's independence, regardless of their age, to consistently develop this skill in readiness for school.Children have lots of opportunities to explore and try things out for themselves.

For example, older children took part in an activity making cornflour biscuits. The children excitedly helped to measure and count the ingredients needed. They enthusiastically stirred the ingredients in their own bowls.

Leaders place a strong priority on continual evaluation and improvement. They regularly check staff knowledge of safeguarding, first aid and their key child's development. The manager provides staff with regular opportunities to meet on a one-to-one basis and as a team, with a comprehensive induction for new staff.

Staff feel well supported and comment that there are opportunities for professional development. They feel they can approach leaders at any time and that they all work together as a team.Parents are extremely complimentary about the care and learning provided to their children.

They feel well informed about their children's development and that their children are always happy to come to nursery. They particularly feel included in their child's journey with the use of the online application and social media. Concerns raised by parents are managed effectively by staff.

Staff identified behaviour as an area of focus following the COVID-19 pandemic. They implemented strategies to encourage children to manage their own behaviour and feelings. As a result, children successfully regulate their behaviour.

Leaders' and staff's commitment to high-quality communication and language is evident throughout the nursery. Staff often engage in conversations with children, modelling language and adding to the words they know and understand. This encourages them to respond to questions and prompts.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff receive regular safeguarding training to keep their knowledge and understanding up to date. They are often given scenarios by leaders and asked to identify the procedure for each.

They have a clear understanding of the signs which could indicate a child is at risk of harm. They understand the process they must follow if they have concerns about a child's welfare. This includes if they have concerns about a member of staff's behaviour towards a child.

Head office staff provide a robust recruitment process to make sure that staff are suitable to work with children when they start. Staff communicate well together to make sure that children are always supervised indoors and outdoors.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on staff's knowledge of being clear as to what they want children to gain from activities and the impact of this on their learning nenhance experiences and opportunities for children to further develop their independence skills.