Premier Lodge Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The manager makes sure that sufficient staff are on site before admitting children to their rooms.

Staff provide a warm welcome to children and their families, which helps children to feel safe and happy. Babies and younger children enjoy being with their key persons in quiet, calm surroundings. They become absorbed in their learning, for instance, as they try to shake off feathers stuck to their fingers during a craft activity.

Older children confidently join in with experiences, such as sports activities and learning about life cycles.The manager plans a purposeful curriculum designed to meet each child's learning ne...eds. Staff work well with other professionals to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good care and education.

Staff consider the needs of each child, including during whole-group activities, to make sure they can practise and learn new skills. All children progress well from their individual starting points.Staff are warm and caring.

They offer gentle reminders to older children about how to play amicably together, to share and behave well. They redirect any unwanted behaviour and give children clear explanations, which help them to learn right from wrong. Staff provide activities that are well planned and engaging.

Children want to take part and have positive attitudes towards learning.

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

The provider and the manager are reflective and take steps to make sure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities. They recently improved staff deployment and training to ensure the team continually supervises children well.

Staff know where they need to be at any time to meet children's needs.The manager ensures correct staffing ratios are maintained. She does not allow agency staff to enter the rooms until she checks their suitability and ensures they fully understand their duties.

Agency staff complement the established team well, and the manager monitors their effectiveness along with employed staff. The provider makes sure that staff receive regular supervision and support to continually improve their skills and children's experiences.Staff understand and implement the curriculum aims well, overall.

They ensure that children with SEND and those who they receive additional funding for engage well in purposeful activities. They encourage children who speak English as an additional language to use their home languages as well as English in their play. Very occasionally, they do not recognise or respond when pre-school-aged children lose concentration during more focused activities.

Children gain slightly less from their learning experiences at such times.Staff encourage children to behave well and develop respect and concern for others. Babies and toddlers follow routines with ease as they form close relationships with staff and one another.

Older children are kind and helpful towards their friends. They become self-assured and independent in readiness for starting school.Staff engage well with babies and toddlers as they play to encourage their early communication and language skills.

They ask interesting questions, narrate children's play, read stories and teach children new words, such as 'crystal' and 'crescent'. Sometimes, such as when noise levels are high, some older children find it difficult to hear and respond to staff's questions and discussions. At such times, these children have slightly fewer opportunities to practise their skills in this area of their learning.

Staff encourage children's personal, social and emotional development well. They develop close bonds with babies and younger children to help them feel safe and secure as they play and explore. They plan activities that help children to learn in small stages so that they acquire confidence in their abilities and enjoy their learning.

Staff work well with parents to support them and their children. They share a good range of information about the children's care and learning, including assessments of their progress. Parents value the care that staff provide for them and their children, including the help they offer when English is not their first language.

They feel their children make good progress and enjoy their time at this setting.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff are clear about their respective safeguarding roles and responsibilities.

The manager makes sure that staff keep their safeguarding training up to date and monitors their understanding. Staff know the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm or neglect. They know how to recognise and refer any child protection concerns or the behaviour of another adult working with the children.

Staff follow the provider's risk assessments well to keep children safe. They remind children of the rules, including those related to the use of wheeled toys outside, to help them learn how to keep themselves and others safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: broaden opportunities for children to be able to listen and respond more to staff interactions to further encourage their communication and language skills help older children to concentrate more during focused activities to contribute even more towards their readiness for starting school.