Rocking Horse Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Interactions between children and staff are nurturing and respectful.

Children are happy and confident when exploring their environment and separate easily from their parents on arrival. The experienced staff have high expectations for all children. Staff plan a rich curriculum which is based on children's interests.

This helps to engage children in play and learning for long periods. Well-planned activities entice children to try new things or allow them to consolidate their previous learning. For example, staff use local building work to inspire toddlers in their imaginative and construction play.

Boundaries... and routines are well established across the setting. This supports children's behaviour and independence, as they know what is happening next. For example, babies independently crawl through to the dining area once they see the snack bowls come out.

They are encouraged to do things for themselves and practise skills they have already learned. For example, older children help to set the tables for lunch and serve their own food. Children also learn to explore and talk about their feelings and emotions.

Children in the pre-school room use play dough to explore emotions. They look at their reflection in the mirror and talk about their feelings. Children have access to 'calm spaces' to allow them time and space to reflect on their feelings and regulate their behaviour.

They are respectful of the staff and interact politely with their peers.

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

Leaders have a clear vision for what they want children to learn. They support staff to sequence the curriculum across the setting so that children build on what they have learned in previous rooms, while introducing new ideas and experiences.

This helps children to consolidate previous learning and become more confident in their skills. As such, children make good progress in their learning.Leaders and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting children's communication and language.

Staff use effective questioning techniques to provoke children's deeper thinking. They introduce the children to a wide range of vocabulary and encourage them to use this in their play. Staff provide children with mirrors to practise mouth exercises.

This helps them to develop the muscles needed to form sounds and letters.Leaders plan a curriculum which makes good use of familiar stories and songs. This engages children in storytelling and creativity.

Children practise retelling their favourite stories through role play, which helps them to bring the stories to life. They meet local authors to learn about writing books. Regular music therapy sessions help to support even the youngest children to express themselves through music, stories and song.

This supports children's creative thinking and develops their literacy skills.Leaders and staff motivate children to take pride in their achievements and to keep on trying. Children learn resilience through supportive interactions with their key person.

Staff encourage children to think for themselves and try to reach their own conclusions. This helps children to develop perseverance and become masters of their own learning.Leaders give high priority to teaching children about the world around them.

Staff support children to learn about festivals and events that are important to the nursery community. Children take part in local events, such as the 'Clean Air Event', where they learn about how their choices impact on the environment and the world around them.Leaders and staff liaise with parents on entry to identify any areas of concern or gaps in a child's development.

The special educational needs coordinator connects families with local services, such as children's centres, to provide additional support where required. Leaders coordinate effectively with professionals and other agencies to complete referrals and provide supporting documentation where needed. This targeted approach helps all children make progress in their learning, regardless of their starting points.

Effective partnership with parents is a priority for leaders and staff. Leaders encourage parents to share their child's interests and become fully involved in their child's learning. Parents attend stay-and-play sessions and parents' evenings, where they can spend time playing with their child and discussing the progress they are making.

This helps them to plan the best way to support children's progress together.Following a period of instability, the new leadership team is establishing itself. However, this is still very much in its infancy.

Staff well-being and a manageable workload has been prioritised during this difficult time. Leaders work closely with the staff team to ensure the disruption of any changes has minimal impact on the children. However, robust monitoring systems are not in place.

As a result, new leaders do not have a precise insight of the effectiveness of the curriculum to help them to maintain provision of good quality.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff are trained to a high standard in safeguarding procedures.

They are all aware of the signs and symptoms of abuse and fully understand their responsibility to keep children safe. Staff know who to refer any concerns to, including any whistle-blowing concerns. Accidents and any incoming injuries are recorded and are monitored by leaders to help identify any emerging patterns.

Children's medical needs and dietary requirements are shared with all staff to ensure a safe and effective approach to minimising risk. Risk assessments are stringent and carried out on a daily basis by leaders and staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support the new leadership team to monitor carefully to help stabilise and maintain good quality provision for children.