Pitstop Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are greeted by warm and welcoming staff to this homely nursery.

Staff know their children well and plan suitability to meet their needs so they benefit from meaningful learning. The manager has developed a curriculum that focuses on promoting children's communication, imagination and independence. For example, children from a young age learn about the importance of self-care and independently use small nail brushes to wash their hands.

The nursery strives to ensure all children develop a love for learning, both indoors and outdoors, and develop their self-confidence to make independent choices in learning.Chil...dren generally behave well and are supported by staff to manage any conflicts that arise. Children are keen to learn, and show high levels of fascination and interest in activities.

They show satisfaction using tweezers to scoop objects out of messy-play activities and enjoy being praised by attentive staff. A strong key-person and buddy system is in place, to ensure that all children feel happy and safe during their time at the nursery. Activities are well sequenced to help children learn and build on previous learning.

Pre-school children enjoy using play dough to create and discuss different fruits and vegetables and recall previous learning from a planting activity.

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

Children are provided with new, exciting experiences to broaden their knowledge of their local community and allow them to contribute positively to society. For example, older children enjoy the benefit of weekly trips to the forest to explore the natural environment around them.

Staff continuously talk to children about respecting their environment and ways to promote sustainability. For example, staff talk to older children about the importance of not wasting water by leaving taps on. This provides children with awareness of their own role in looking after the world around them.

The nursery place significant focus on promoting children's communication skills. Knowledgeable staff confidently introduce new language and vocabulary, such as 'spiky', to young children when talking about different fruits and vegetables. However, staff do not consistently give children enough time to respond to questions asked.

This means that not all children are able share their own thoughts or ideas during activities.Staff are proactive in seeking support for individual children and attend relevant training, to ensure that all children receive the best start to their early education. Staff have good knowledge regarding their children and will confidently discuss their progress and next steps in learning.

Staff show a good understanding of how they find out what experiences children bring into the nursery. They use this information effectively to identify how they can extend on the child's current knowledge by creating appropriate next steps. Staff support children's interests and use this to build on what they already know and can do.

However, staff do not always ensure that teaching during group activities is appropriate for all children participating. Consequently, some children do not fully benefit from the learning experience provided.Managers and staff build strong relationships with families and gather information on what children know and can do.

They establish effective communication with parents and carers to inform them of their children's learning and progress and ensure consistency. Parents state that staff are caring and compassionate and children feel happy and settled in their care.Staff report they feel incredibly well supported by leaders and managers.

Staff are provided with regular opportunities to discuss their own role and leaders feed back ways to improve on the already good practice.Leaders and managers made appropriate precautions to keep themselves and children safe during the pandemic. They are aware of the needs of families who attend their provision and offered innovative methods of support to them during this time.

The manager is aware of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their children's development and staff have worked hard to ensure these children receive appropriate support and make progress in their learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a secure knowledge of how to keep children safe from harm and confidently discuss indicators of abuse.

They are aware of their responsibility to raise concerns about the conduct of colleagues. Staff show good understanding in the importance of monitoring children's attendance and working in partnership with parents. As a result, they are confident in the signs in which children may display when being radicalised.

The newly appointed manager ensures that all staff are suitable for their role and understand their responsibilities for keeping children safe. This is discussed regularly at supervision meetings.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff to provide consistent opportunities for children to develop their communication and language skills, and allow them to share their own ideas and thoughts consider more closely how to adapt group activities, to ensure that all children can fully engage and benefit from the learning opportunities provided.