Phileas Fox Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The staff welcome children into the safe and cosy, multilingual setting with a smile. They ask how their mornings have been and take them through to their rooms to begin their nursery day.

Children separate easily from their parents, settling quickly, happy and engaged in their play. Staff set up engaging environments that capture children's attention and support the effective delivery of the ambitious curriculum. Children show sustained focus and concentration in their learning.

Staff support children's language development well. Children benefit from daily singing, rhymes and story times in both English and other lan...guages they are learning. Staff engage young children as they play, naming objects and talking about what they are doing, helping to broaden their vocabulary.

Older children enjoy engaging in group discussions, helping to promote their confidence.Staff have high expectations of children and, overall, the behaviour of children is good. Staff are positive role models for children, treating each other with kindness and respect.

They recognise that children struggle at times to share and take turns. Staff are full of praise for children when they demonstrate acts of kindness to others, reinforcing this positive behaviour.

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

The manager has strong oversight of the curriculum.

She trains all staff well to understand how to plan and sequence what children are learning. All staff understand how to identify what children can do and what they need to learn next. They plan learning opportunities to match each child's abilities.

Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education, including school.The staff team are reflective and strive to improve the activities and experiences on offer for the children in their care. For example, they ensure continuous provision is reflective of what children can do to enable them to practise their skills and secure their learning.

Staff undertake professional development opportunities to enhance their knowledge and practice further. Staff say they enjoy working at the setting and that leaders are supportive.Staff provide activities to help children develop their independence.

Children are offered different fruits, enabling them to make simple choices for snack time. Older children access the toilet themselves, wash their hands and help staff to tidy away resources. This helps children learn to do as much as possible for themselves.

Children benefit from frequently hearing stories. Staff point out the illustrations and ask questions about what will happen next. However, at times these group activities are not organised to ensure all children benefit from the learning experience.

For instance, staff are not supportive of those children that are quieter and allow more confident children to take over the activity.Staff support children to develop their mathematical skills well. They plan activities that enable children to explore different mathematical concepts, such as counting and size.

Children eagerly use small blocks to problem solve as they follow construction pictures or working together to build the train track.The staff support children to celebrate what makes them unique. They teach children about the languages they share and different types of families.

Children share and celebrate their own differences. They learn tolerance and respect for other people as they learn about the local community. Children enjoy supporting others through various charity days.

Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyles. Children enjoy spending time out in the garden. They develop their physical skills as they climb and jump in tyres, and use bikes and buggies to navigate space.

Partnership with parents is strong. Parents compliment the high levels of communication they receive related to their child's learning and development. They are thrilled at the progress their children make and value the support they receive to aid their children's learning at home, particularly the new lending library.

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: norganise group activities in a way that helps all children benefit from the learning experience.