Pink Elephants Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, confident and self-assured in this nursery. Staff provide them with a secure and well-organised environment. A wide range of interesting activities are attractively laid out, which ignite children's curiosity and invite them to play and learn.

Children move freely around the room to explore and develop their own ideas. They delight in creating ramps and programming small robots to travel up the track. Children have lots of opportunities for fresh air and exercise.

They ride on wheeled toys and explore climbing equipment. Children have very close relationships with the caring staff team. Staff are po...sitive role models and provide children with warm praise for their achievements.

Children remember to say please and thank you and are kind to each other. For example, children hold out their arms, inviting their friends for a hug when they need one. They take their friends by the hand to include them in their chosen activities and games.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. Children behave well. They listen attentively to stories and join in with action songs and rhymes.

Young children receive reassurance from their key person if they become tired or upset. This helps them to feel emotionally secure.

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

The nursery remained open during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

However, many children did not attend during this time. Staff kept in regular contact with children and their families. They shared recordings of 'story time' so children could watch them at home.

Consequently, children returned to the nursery feeling relaxed and settled.The manager has a clear vision for the nursery. She works closely with her staff team to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the setting.

The system for staff supervision and performance monitoring supports staff in their professional development. Staff benefit from regular meetings with the manager to reflect on their practice and identify training needs to develop their knowledge and skills.Leaders have high expectations of the staff, who provide an inclusive environment and value every child's uniqueness.

Staff work in partnership with external agencies to make sure all children are well supported. Adaptations are made to benefit children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. As a result, children are making good progress to move on to the next stage in their learning.

Additional funding, such as the early years pupil premium, is used appropriately to meet children's needs. For example, the outside area has been significantly enhanced. Outdoor learning spaces and plentiful resources allow children to play and explore.

For example, children can now use the available 'natural garden' to explore their senses, hunt for insects and create with natural materials.Staff understand what they want children to learn. They follow children's interests and support them in a way that is appropriate to their level of development.

For example, children enjoy playing in the sand with a range of tools and resources. Staff provide children with water to add to the sand and help the children to identify how the sand has changed. Staff encourage children to develop their communication skills.

For example, they clearly emphasise key words within their interactions, such as 'water, in' and 'mix' to enhance children's understanding and speaking skills.Staff engage well with children, generally, and support children's language development well, overall. However, they do not always give children time to answer fully and express their reasoning.

Staff plan opportunities for children to develop good independence skills and manage their personal care. Children carefully cut fruit for their snacks, pour their own drinks and use the bathroom independently. They understand the importance of good handwashing.

Parents praise the quality of care their children receive. They appreciate how happy and confident their children are at the nursery. Staff use social media and private messaging to keep parents informed about what is happening at the nursery.

However, they do not share information about children's assessments and next steps in learning with them effectively to help them understand how their children are developing.Children have a positive attitude towards learning. For example, they enjoy playing with foam and show excitement as they find the hidden letters and show their friends.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. They receive regular training about safeguarding and know what to do if they are concerned about a child's welfare.

Staff understand the procedures to follow should an allegation be made against another staff member. There are robust procedures to ensure the suitability of all staff. Children learn about their own safety, for example as they carefully climb the steps one by one to access the garden area.

Children know to wait their turn and hold the handrail. The indoor and outdoor environment is safe and secure.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to develop their questioning skills to ensure they give children time and opportunity to answer their questions fully and express their reasoning build on the information shared with parents to help them support children's learning at home.