Polly’s Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are highly motivated, confident and eager to learn, and they thoroughly enjoy their time at the nursery. Staff have high expectations for the children and they encourage children in everything they do. Children make rapid progress in all areas of their learning and development.

Staff provide an exciting and safe environment with an extensive range of high-quality natural resources, including china, metal and wood. Children demonstrate they feel safe and secure in their surroundings. Staff place a strong focus on helping children to develop high levels of independence and excellent social skills.

For exa...mple, older children confidently take an active part in preparing tables for mealtimes and serving themselves snack. Younger children are encouraged to find and try to put on their shoes, coats and hats ready for going outside. Children are confident to speak and ask questions.

They enjoy experimenting as they play. For example, they use magnets to see what they can pick up, and show excitement when they find that a small magnet will pick up a large can which also contains other items. Children respond enthusiastically to staff's questions.

They show fascination as they explore technology, such as when children watch the images on a car camera attached to the handles of a bike.

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

The exceptionally strong team of staff is highly motivated, inspirational and dedicated to provide excellent quality of care. Staff work extremely well together, and are supported highly effectively by the manager and owners.

Staff talk about how they are extremely well supported, professionally and personally, by the owners and the manager. Staff from both nurseries work closely together to help ensure consistency and to maintain the exceptionally high quality of care between them.Children develop exceptional communication and language skills.

They interact with each other and the staff very well. Staff model language extremely well and encourage children to take an active vocal part in activities, such as when young children take part in a story making activity. They sit enthralled as the member of staff helps them to recall the story of the 'Three Little Pigs'.

Children talk confidently about what happens next as they respond to the questions from the member of staff.Children are supported exceptionally well in their emotional development. They build strong bonds with their key person.

All staff are extremely calm and caring towards the children. Children display high levels of positive behaviour. They are exceptionally well behaved and polite.

Older children use their manners without being prompted by staff. Staff are excellent role models. They help children to recognise their feelings and those of their friends.

All children have easy access to the outdoor spaces. Staff provide interesting and stimulating areas for children to explore and learn about the world around them. Children flourish as they develop their interests, such as when staff provide a large tray containing different textures, including bark, shaving foam, sand and stones for their toy dinosaurs.

Staff know the children exceptionally well. They build on what children already know extremely well and have an excellent knowledge of the curriculum. Precise observations, assessments and planning ensure that each child's individual needs are met exceptionally well.

Highly effective monitoring by staff and the manager ensures that any gaps in learning are quickly identified and are acted upon. For example, the team recently recognised that use of mathematics had not been covered as well as it might be. The team has worked hard to quickly address this, and staff now bring the use of numbers, shapes, quantity and volume into activities to help to support children's mathematical development effectively.

Partnerships with parents are outstanding. Staff work extremely closely with parents and include them fully in their child's learning. Carefully planned settling-in procedures enable staff to gather as much information as possible about children's routines and what they are able to do before they start.

Staff provide regular feedback to parents about their child's progress, which helps them to support their child's learning even further at home. Parents are highly complimentary about the care provided, the exceptionally caring staff and the very good progress their children are making.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have an excellent understanding of safeguarding procedures. They are extremely confident in their understanding of the signs and indicators of abuse, and know exactly who to contact should they have any concerns about a child's welfare. Staff are very clear about the importance of monitoring children's non-attendance.

The owners and the manager actively encourage staff to keep their training up to date, which helps to maintain their knowledge of child protection procedures and the wider areas of safeguarding. Staff are extremely familiar with the whistle-blowing policy and local safeguarding procedures for reporting allegations. Although staff turnover is low, the owner and the manager implement rigorous recruitment, induction, supervision and monitoring procedures, including regularly checking that staff remain suitable to work with children.