Pump House Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children thrive in this warm and nurturing environment. They benefit from the wide range of interesting and exciting activities which are planned based on their interests. For example, babies learn about texture and smell as they play with foam.

Toddlers and pre-schoolers learn about the dietary habits of dinosaurs as they feed toy dinosaurs with plants or pretend meat. Staff have strong relationships with children. Children approach staff for comfort when necessary.

Staff understand the needs of individual children very well. If babies are unsettled, staff work hard to understand and address the reason for this. Staff... prepare children well for the next stage of their learning journey.

Children learn how to make their own decisions. This starts in the baby room, when children use pictorial symbols to express their wants and needs. Toddlers and pre-schoolers develop this skill further.

They have the opportunity to decide what activities they would like to do each day. Staff then prepare these activities in a way that meets the learning needs of the children. This helps children to develop a strong sense of identity.

Children develop their independence well. For example, when children use the art area, they carefully consider what they would like to create and then collect the resources they need for their creation independently. This gives children a sense of pride and ownership over their learning.

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

Leaders are clear about what they want children to achieve through the communication and language curriculum. Staff develop children's communication and language skills well. They narrate what children are doing as they play and explore.

Staff use repetition to reinforce unfamiliar words to children. For example, staff repeat 'spiral' as children make spirals in the foam. This helps children to build their vocabulary and make progress in their language development.

Staff carefully plan how to help children develop their physical skills. Babies climb up the stairs and slide down the other side. They cruise around the furniture, which is at the correct level for this.

Young babies have plenty of tummy time, which helps them to develop their gross motor skills. Toddlers and pre-schoolers balance along beams, carry heavy blocks or pots of water and throw and catch balls. They learn about all the different ways they can move their body through regular yoga sessions.

They develop their fine motor skills through many opportunities for mark making. This ensures that children make good progress in their physical development.Staff carefully consider the questions that they ask children, and they use these questions to extend children's learning well.

For example, when children discuss how they will make a house for the three little pigs, staff ask what they could use to make the roof. This helps children to develop their problem-solving skills.Staff teach children about consent by asking them if they would like a cuddle or explaining that they will change their nappy soon.

This teaches children that they have autonomy over their own bodies.Staff know their key children very well. They confidently explain the progress that their key children have made and what the next steps in their learning are.

They then plan how to help them achieve these steps. This leads to children making good progress from their individual starting points.Staff morale is high and the atmosphere is a positive one.

Leaders carefully consider how they can support staff's well-being. This helps staff to work collaboratively and communicate respectfully as a team. Leaders ensure that effective supervision and training are in place to support staff.

Staff are offered training based on their needs and requests. This leads to good outcomes for children.Leaders support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities well.

They identify any concerns they may have about any areas of a child's development early. They work closely with parents and external professionals to put additional support in place for these children. This means that these children make good progress and achieve their learning targets.

Where children speak other languages in addition to English, some staff do not know the children's home language. This means that staff cannot use this information to support children's communication skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good knowledge of what to do if they have concerns regarding a child's well-being. They attend regular training to ensure their safeguarding knowledge is kept up to date. Important safeguarding information is clearly displayed in the setting for staff to access.

The manager has a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and knows where to go for further support if necessary. Leaders use effective systems to recruit staff and to ensure their ongoing suitability.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nensure that staff are aware of any languages, in addition to English, that children or their families speak at home and consider how to use this information to support these children in their communication and language development.