Playdays Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children settle exceptionally well in this safe and welcoming setting. Staff tailor settling-in procedures to each child's individual needs.

The manager and key person visit new children at home before they start at the setting. This helps children to successfully build strong relationships with staff from the beginning.Children's individuality and uniqueness are central to the ethos of the setting.

Staff are highly attentive to children's preferences. They use this knowledge to provide activities and resources that promote children's interests and preferred ways to play. For instance, staff recognise subtle changes wh...en playing alongside children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

This informs them when they need to make changes to the activity or provide a more one-to-one approach to continue children's learning experiences.Children learn about people and families beyond their own immediate family or community. In the toddler room, children discover the traditions of their friends as they explore red envelopes and gift wallets for Chinese New Year.

Pre-school children create 'all about me' profiles at home to share with their friends. Babies have large family photos fixed to the floor so that they can see the people most important to them while they are crawling around the room.

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

Staff offer all children an ambitious curriculum which is focused on their individual learning needs.

The manager knows and understands the needs of individual children and is able to discuss how they are supported by her team. The staff across the setting know the manager's vision for children and all support this well. All children, including those with SEND, make good progress from their starting points in learning at the setting.

Staff plan exciting and purposeful activities. As a result, all children have a willingness to join in with what is on offer. However, during some activities, children wait for extended periods for their turn.

For instance, when they make play dough, staff use one bowl that is passed around the table. This means that, at times, some children become restless or lose interest in the activity, and are not fully engaged in their learning.All staff have a detailed knowledge of the children they are caring for.

They pay particular attention to following children's interests. Staff successfully support children's play to provide meaningful challenges that extend their learning. However, on occasion, some staff do not recognise when their colleagues are supporting larger groups of children in multiple activities.

This means that there are times when some children receive less focus from staff because their attention is split between two or more activities.Children's communication and language development is central to the ethos of the setting. Babies learn words such as 'soft' and 'squishy' as they explore the texture of cooked spaghetti.

Toddlers share their ideas and thinking as they answer the questions staff skilfully ask them about where they should go next on their 'magical train journey'.There are children in the setting who speak a wide range of languages. Staff ensure that they are able to communicate with these children by learning key words, phrases and songs in each language.

This helps children to feel valued in the setting and supports them to communicate their thoughts and needs.Children learn about risk in the environment and in their play. For example, toddlers excitedly jump up and down on the platform of their climbing frame.

Staff sensitively talk to them about taking a step backwards, so they do not bang their chin on the side of the equipment. Children respond very well to this. Pre-school children learn the importance of cleaning up spillages on the floor so that other children do not slip and fall.

Parents speak very highly of the setting. They discuss the positive impact that attending the setting has had on their child's development. Communication between staff and parents is clear and informative about each child that attends.

Parents feel very involved in their child's learning and development. They receive activity ideas that they can do at home to extend their children's learning.Leaders and managers support staff well.

They implement effective training opportunities and supervision arrangements to support staff's professional development and practice. Staff feel that they receive high levels of support, and comment that this benefits their teaching practice with children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff have an up-to-date safeguarding knowledge. All staff attend regular training and staff meetings which are focused on safeguarding and child protection. They have a clear and consistent knowledge of how to recognise when children are at risk.

Staff know how to report any concerns across the setting, including broader safeguarding issues such as the 'Prevent' duty and female genital mutilation. Managers have effective recruitment arrangements in place, to ensure that staff working with children are suitable.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: plan activities more carefully to ensure that all children are fully engaged in their learning support all staff in achieving the same extremely high-quality practice across the setting.