Pre-School Learning Alliance Bulwell Childcare

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy their time at this warm, homely nursery.

They are happy, busy and safe in the care of the attentive and caring staff. Children develop a positive attitude to learning from an early age and behave well. They demonstrate confidence and concentration as they take part in a range of activities of their choice.

This is evident when older children mix paints to create different colours using a pipette. They are fascinated as they see the colours change and spend long periods experimenting with the mixture. Younger children enjoy playing in the water and singing songs about ducks.

They giggle and laugh..., showing curiosity as they splash and pat while exploring the water. Staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. Staff frequently check what children know and can do, and use this information to plan what they need to learn next.

Staff provide a broad range of interesting and enriching activities to help promote children's learning. For example, they have created a large sandpit inside in the older children's room. They have added dumper trucks, drainpipes, logs and a wide selection of natural items, such as stones and fir cones.

The children benefit from this. They enjoy digging and use their imagination as they become 'builders' and transport the items around the sandpit.

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

The manager cares for the well-being of her staff and conducts regular supervision meetings to discuss their workload.

She provides ongoing support to help develop their practice further. Staff meet regularly to share their ideas and views and are encouraged to make decisions. They complete mandatory training, such as first aid and safeguarding.

However, opportunities for a broader range of professional development for staff are not yet embedded.The manager is ambitious and focused on improving the quality of the nursery. Since the last inspection, she has altered the rooms in the nursery to help enhance children's learning.

She and her staff deliver a curriculum that encourages children to learn through their play. They take children's interests into consideration and help to develop their curiosity. Staff provide a broad range of activities and resources which enhance children's problem-solving skills.

For example, children play with the small-world fairies and find ways to balance them on the tiny swings. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to support and extend children's mathematical skills.The manager is committed to developing strong partnerships with parents to support children's learning at home.

For instance, she organises coffee mornings for parents to discuss children's development. Staff gather information from parents about what children can already do and what experiences they have at home. They add to these experiences, providing children with opportunities to develop their future learning.

For example, children have access to the 'Imagination Library'. They develop a love of reading as they borrow books and look at them at home.Staff generally support children's communication and thinking skills well.

They talk to children throughout the day and introduce new words. For example, they introduce 'sticky' and 'slimy' while children play with the spaghetti. This helps to broaden children's vocabulary.

However, on occasion, staff do not give children enough time to extend their thinking skills when asking them questions.Children are encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles. They enjoy eating nutritious food at mealtimes.

Children follow good hygiene procedures and know to wash their hands before lunch. They learn to serve their own food and clear away their dishes. This helps to develop their independence and personal skills.

Children have daily opportunities to be active and enhance their physical skills. For instance, they climb the slide and enjoy going up and down on the rocker.Staff interact with children in a highly respectful and caring manner.

They frequently give children encouragement and praise. Children show high levels of self-esteem and behave well. They learn to share and take turns.

Older children are beginning to respect their friends' views. This is evident when children play with the play dough. They share the rolling pins and wait patiently for the cutters.

The play dough has different smells, and the children talk about which smells they like and dislike.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager understands her responsibilities to safeguard children.

She frequently checks staff's knowledge of a range of safeguarding issues, to ensure they know how to keep children safe from harm. The manager provides opportunities for discussions on safeguarding at every staff meeting and asks on-the-spot questions to assess staff's knowledge. Staff understand the reporting procedures to follow should they be concerned about a child's welfare.

They receive regular training to enhance their understanding of wider safeguarding issues. The manager implements secure recruitment procedures to ensure staff are suitable to look after children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: give children more time to think about and respond to questions to help build their early language and thinking skills develop the opportunities to support and extend children's understanding of mathematics research ways to enhance professional development to improve staff's interactions with children.

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