Puddleducks Children’s Day Nursery Malton Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children arrive at this extremely welcoming and friendly nursery eager to join in activities and start their learning. For example, children take delight in building houses from straw, sticks and bricks as they recall their favourite stories. They demonstrate a love of stories.

Children regularly take part in baking activities and help to make recipes for their lunch and snack. For instance, they make fresh apple pie and homemade ice cream. Leaders and staff are extremely passionate about providing high-quality care and education at this inspiring nursery.

Staff are exceptionally knowledgeable about children, th...eir backgrounds and next steps in learning. Children have excellent opportunities to learn about the world around them and their community. For example, older children take part in martial arts classes and visit a local library and residential home.

Leaders construct a curriculum that is ambitious and offers a wide range of experiences. They use additional funding to support children's individual needs effectively.Staff are excellent role models and have high expectations of children's behaviour.

They clearly explain to children, and remind children about, the rules in the nursery. Children learn to cooperate with each other and take turns. For example, they share body wash as they bathe their dolls.

Children have consistently positive attitudes to their play and learning, and their behaviour is excellent. Staff work collaboratively together to provide an environment where all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are highly motivated. Staff are highly sensitive and responsive to promoting children's emotional well-being.

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

Staff support children's communication and language skills extremely well. They have core stories that they want children to learn, and share these with parents. Children look at books independently and have access to a lending library to take books home.

Staff have developed communication and language baskets to share with parents to continue children's learning at home. They model language through discussions with children and sing to children throughout the day.Children develop excellent literacy and mathematical skills.

Staff model how to make marks in sand and flour using paintbrushes. Older children write the initial letters of their names and younger children learn shapes. Children count during activities and learn to match numbers to items.

Staff support children's physical development skilfully. Younger children excitedly climb outdoors and take part in action rhymes. Toddlers excitedly pretend to be dinosaurs in yoga sessions.

Children competently use tweezers to pick up petals.They use scissors expertly to cut the stems of mint herbs to make potions. Children confidently use a pestle and mortar to mash their herbs.

Children discover and explore the natural world. They learn how to grow their own vegetables and have fun planting wildflower seeds. Children study the life cycle of butterflies.

They excitedly tell visitors how they let their butterflies fly free when they had emerged from their cocoons.Children have excellent opportunities to develop their independence skills and learn about healthy lifestyles. For example, they learn to use a fork and begin to pour their own drinks from a young age.

Older children continue to develop these skills as they learn to use a knife and fork and serve their own food. Children brush their teeth daily, to help them to learn about good oral hygiene. They enjoy healthy and home-cooked meals.

Parents are extremely complimentary about the nursery and staff. They say their children make excellent progress and that they feel very well informed. Staff share information with parents through regular meetings online and face-to-face discussions.

Parents receive information in a biweekly blog. They are invited to attend 'showcase evenings' to see what their children take part in on a daily basis in the nursery. Staff are tremendously nurturing and caring towards children and their families.

Managers have high aspirations for all staff. They encourage staff to develop their practice and progress in their own learning. Staff attend courses to continue to extend their knowledge, such as training around autism, behaviour management, safer sleeping and how to support children who are reluctant to try new food.

Managers target training precisely to continually improve staff's knowledge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.