Perfect Start Day Nursery Horsham

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are warmly welcomed into the nursery by the manager and staff.

Young babies settle quickly and feel safe with staff that know them well. Babies enjoy painting activities that support them to learn about subjects such as animals. They develop good physical skills and use equipment to pull themselves up to standing with support from their key person.

Older babies happily play with dough and staff join in, supporting them by introducing new language. Staff extend older babies' conversation skills effectively, such as at lunchtimes. Staff ask, 'do you want more?' and children respond, 'no, no' and 'more mash', kno...wing that their voice and opinions have value.

Staff support children's emotional development well.Toddlers have a good range of activities that engage them in their learning. In the garden, they experience awe and wonder, such as when looking at bugs.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in their development. They receive effective support from the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and staff. Pre-school-age children climb and balance on the obstacle course in the garden, enhancing their coordination skills.

Children display good levels of behaviour. For example, when they struggle with turn-taking, staff take appropriate action to support them.

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

There is a clear family friendly ethos at the nursery.

The manager's support of children and families is evident across the whole setting. Parents receive effective support with their child's development. Staff are quick to notice and respond to changes in behaviour and if children need extra support.

The manager focuses the curriculum on communication and language and personal, social and emotional development. It is ambitious and sequenced for all ages of children. The SENCo works closely with parents and outside agencies to create an effective learning environment.

Less-experienced staff receive support from the knowledgeable manager and team. Staff recognise children's different learning styles. For example, a child was trying to move sand from one place to another and staff provided a bucket to help with the child's style of learning.

Staff have access to information resource cards that support the ambitious curriculum.Staff sometimes do not incorporate children with allergies as inclusively as the manager expects. Staff do not always support children in a fully sensitive way when discussing their dietary needs with other adults.

This does not enhance children's awareness of accepting and celebrating differences and similarities in others.Children persevere with a chosen task, such as throwing beanbags over the barrier to each other. Children develop resilience to setbacks and staff thoughtfully support this.

Children's voices are heard, such as through schemes like the nursery council. Children have the opportunity to vote on activities, which prepares them for life in modern Britain. Staff support children with healthy choices.

They remind children to use soap and how this keeps them healthy. This builds on children's personal development.Key persons know the children well.

They plan next steps effectively to help children make good developmental progress. However, key-person deployment is not always effective during certain times of the day. This results in children not being fully engaged and their emotional well-being not being consistently met.

Children use real-life experiences to enrich their conversation. They talk about a visit to a pick-your-own farm when eating strawberries for their healthy pudding. Children use books to reflect and talk about alarms.

Children remembered the fire alarm, commenting that 'it sounded two times' and 'we go into the garden with everyone else'.The manager recognises the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on young children's communication and language development. Staff use different educational programmes to help parents support their children's learning at home.

At nursery, staff use programmes successfully, such as 'Babbling Babies', 'Toddler Talk', 'Dough Gym' and 'Bucket Time'.The manager provides staff with good levels of support. Staff talk about daily meetings to discuss children and the intent in their rooms.

Room leaders report how the manager supports them in this process.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff provide a safe and secure environment for children to play and learn.

The manager creates a safeguarding culture that supports children and staff. Staff are confident in their ability to refer any child protection concerns to the designated safeguarding lead. Staff also know and understand the escalation process if they are not listened to.

Staff can identify signs of abuse and other factors that may affect children in their care. The manager understands the local policies and procedures and how to refer to relevant agencies and seek early support.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the key-person approach to further enhance children's engagement in their play and support their emotional well-being build on systems for incorporating children with allergies more inclusively to extend children's awareness of being sensitive to others' needs.