Playhouse Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children excitedly arrive at the setting, and they confidently separate from their parents to explore the nursery environment.

This reassures parents that their child is happy and well looked after. Staff communicate well with parents to include details about their child's developmental progress and provide opportunities to continue learning at home. This enables children to further progress and become confident learners.

Children have access to a wide range of activities that are scheduled around their interests and developmental needs. This is demonstrated in their deep engagement to learn independently and as a grou...p. Younger children contently explore various resources in the sensory room, such as moving lights that develop their visual focus and textured resources to develop their small-hand muscles.

Older children have exceptional focus. They explore letters and sounds as they dig through flour in a group activity. They discuss which letter they have found, say the sound, and have a go at writing it in the flour.

This is developing confidence in recognising letters that will initiate the start of reading and writing.Children are extremely positive and cheerful during play and demonstrate impeccable respect for one another. They support their peers and cheer each other on when they notice they are facing challenges during activities.

This encourages children to keep trying and promotes confidence and security in social situations.All children are developing independence to match their age and stage of learning. Babies and toddlers are beginning to feed themselves with a spoon, and some children are moving from chairs with safety straps to sitting on small, child-size chairs.

Older children use the toilet alone; they hang their own belongings on their named pegs and help themselves to food and drink at snack times. This embeds a sense of trust for children to try new challenges and gain self-worth as they make their own choices.

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

Leaders and staff have developed a curriculum that motivates children to learn with enthusiasm.

They review children's development well. Children's developmental starting points are initiated with parents during the settling-in process. This supports staff to thoroughly get to know each child, form a key relationship with them and identify their individual needs.

If staff recognise that children have gaps in their development, they approach this accurately and sensitively. For example, staff identified that some children were falling behind in their mathematical development. They assessed this weakness, implemented new resources and provided structured activities to successfully promote children's learning potential.

Children behave exceptionally well within the setting. They have excellent control of their emotions due to the caring and nurturing staff, who offer continual support and manage challenging and disruptive events very well, particularly for toddlers. Children are highly motivated to follow rules, particularly to tidy away the toys they have finished with before getting out more toys.

Children demonstrate extremely high levels of respect towards their peers. They accept each other's differences and similarities and discuss these among themselves. Children show support and cheer each other on during activities.

This reflects how staff continually encourage children to have a go. Children are motivated to learn and are thoroughly engaged in the activities set out around the classroom. Children demonstrate concern for others.

For example, when a child bumped their head, the children supported the child by asking if they were alright.Most children articulate language well through their strong social interactions with others. For example, children in the baby room handle textured books and attempt to name the animals.

When they are unsure, they look to staff for help, demonstrating confidence and security in the presence of trusted staff. However, there is limited communication between staff and those children who speak English as an additional language. This prevents some children from having the ability to communicate their needs clearly.

Leaders and managers are reflective in their practice. They review the setting closely to seek out future improvements and provide a continually suitable play space. For example, the manager would like to make improvements in the garden to ensure children are being challenged in all areas of development.

Management continues to reflect on how well children are progressing. If children are not progressing well in a specific area, management will review this to highlight if staff need additional training.Managers seek to provide a supportive environment for staff and parents, as they recognise the difficulties people have faced since the COVID-19 pandemic.

They promote an open-door policy for all staff members and parents to help support their emotional well-being. This provides opportunities to build strong, trusting relationships and encourage open discussions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Managers follow a robust recruitment policy to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children, which continues with ongoing staff supervisions. All staff are trained in safeguarding and reflect on this with the management team regularly. This ensures that all staff are secure in their knowledge of how to keep children safe from harm.

Staff can identify all areas of abuse that may signify that a child is at risk. They understand their responsibilities in reporting concerns to necessary professionals, including reporting an allegation about a member of staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nextend the support for children who speak English as an additional language to encourage two-way communication with staff and children.