Pool House Under 5’s Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The nursery provides a safe, welcoming environment where children are happy to explore and learn. Children access high-quality provision and children's next steps are taught skilfully through playful opportunities.Staff build excellent relationships with children and their families.

This enables children to thrive from the very beginning with a secure sense of belonging. Parents enjoy high-quality stay-and-play sessions and feel involved in their child's learning. The nursery is fully inclusive, and the early identification and provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength.
<...br/>Children enjoy opportunities such as digging for worms and staff skilfully develop their understanding of the world around them. Children display a positive attitude to learning and staff continuously praise their efforts. This leads to children being confident to try again when faced with challenges.

Children display independence when practising healthy routines and are encouraged to choose healthy options at mealtimes by trying new fruit and vegetables. Leaders have effective systems in place to ensure that children's progress is monitored and any gaps in their learning are addressed. Mathematics has been identified as a priority throughout the nursery but staff knowledge around number development is not consistent.

This means that children have fewer opportunities to develop their skills in this area.

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

Leaders and staff have a deep understanding of their community and use this to plan a rich curriculum that is based on children's interests. Children enjoyed a visit from the police, who talked to them about keeping safe in the nursery and at home.

Staff tune into children's play and extend their learning naturally. For example, children who show an interest in mark-making are directed to resources, and staff model how to write for a purpose as they label shopping bags.Staff have a secure knowledge of the stages of physical development and use outdoor learning to develop these skills.

Children investigate sea creatures in the water tray and keep on trying as they learn to balance on large tyres. This empowers children to express their own thoughts and take safe risks.The environment allows children to be creative.

The reading area is equipped with a box containing props to encourage children to act out the roles of characters from stories. Staff are passionate about reading and read stories using different voices, with enthusiasm. They spark children's imaginations using questions such as 'What if?' and 'How would that work?'.

Staff use set focused activities to help improve children's communication and language skills. However, staff are less effective at modelling language and introducing new words to children as they play.The nursery has a well-established key-person system that allows the youngest children to connect with adults and feel confident to express their needs.

They are settled in their homely environment and respond positively to invitations to play from staff. Children delight in playing alongside staff, who encourage them to use their senses to imaginatively explore farm animals and where they live.Children are learning to use personal and social skills.

Staff support them to use manners at snack time and to share resources within their play. Staff identify children who struggle with understanding questions or instructions and provide visual pictures to support the development of these skills. Children with SEND access all the resources and activities provided and are supported by other professionals.

Staff engage children in the local community by visiting the library. Home learning is encouraged by sending home a library bag that includes a travelling bear.Staff well-being and professional development are supported through supervisions.

The nursery manager works in partnership with the school on site by using the strengths and expertise of leaders. This is mostly effective but there are noticeable gaps in staff knowledge around supporting children's mathematical development and communication and language skills throughout children's play.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good understanding of how to keep children safe. They are knowledgeable around procedures and policies within the setting and know who to contact if they have concerns about a child's safety or welfare. Staff have all received training around the 'Prevent' duty and are aware of signs to look out for and how to raise concerns.

Leaders ensure the safe recruitment of staff by following robust procedures. Staff encourage children to take risks within their play.

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 understanding of how to promote children's mathematical development relevant to their age and stage of development consider how leaders can provide additional support to practitioners so that the strategies to improve children's communication and language skills are embedded and used across the provision.

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