Saltway Day Nursery Limited

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children clearly enjoy attending this warm and welcoming nursery. The nursery provides a colourful, stimulating and motivating learning environment for children to learn and develop.

Staff recognise and praise children's efforts and achievements. This helps them to grow in confidence and feel emotionally secure. Children learn to be independent from an early age.

Staff support babies to feed themselves and encourage older children to manage their own self-care needs. Children grow in independence and take good levels of responsibility for managing aspects of their own play and learning. They are well prepared for the n...ext stage of their education.

Children behave well. Staff encourage children to share and take turns and this helps them to develop good personal and social skills. Children learn to manage their own safety, for example, when they take supervised risks climbing on trees and equipment outside.

Staff encourage children from a young age to develop a real interest in books. Toddlers select board books independently, turn the pages and point at the pictures. Staff make books available for children to take home and enjoy with their family, cultivating children's early love of reading.

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

Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. They use appropriate strategies, which help improve outcomes for children. For example, staff use signing to support and improve speech and language development.

Managers support staff well. They provide induction for new staff, regular supervision sessions, training and opportunities to gain qualifications. This helps staff to understand their role and supports good teaching.

Partnerships with parents are highly valued and firmly established. There is a wealth of opportunity for parents to be involved in their children's learning, within the nursery and at home. Parents contribute to their children's initial assessments and receive an abundance of information, through discussions, learning journals and newsletters.

Staff support children's development well, through a combination of planned activities and by providing a stimulating environment. Children are motivated to explore a wide range of good-quality resources. They confidently and independently choose from interesting play opportunities, inside and outdoors.

Staff ensure that children play outdoors each day. Children are motivated and energetic. They display good physical control of their bodies.

Young children excitedly and enthusiastically climb small trees in the garden. Older children use large wooden blocks to create towers and bridges. Staff explain to them the potential consequences of their actions.

As a result, they thoughtfully modify their design and test how safe it is.Children build good relationships with their key person and other staff. They are familiar with routines and demonstrate self-care skills appropriate to their age.

Staff are attentive to children's individual needs. They reassure young children when they first start at the nursery and sing familiar songs to help them to settle. Children eat healthy and nutritious food and have regular play opportunities to promote their physical well-being.

Staff support children effectively to develop their communication and language skills. For example, they respond positively to babies' gestures and babbles. However, occasionally, staff do not give older children enough time to respond to questions before they offer a suggestion.

The quality of teaching is good. However, staff do not always successfully support children to understand the meaning of numbers when counting with them, or using numbers in everyday play and activities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Managers ensure that all staff receive training in child protection to help them keep children safe. Staff have a good knowledge of the possible signs of abuse. They understand the procedures to follow and know how to report any concerns about a child's welfare.

Managers follow strict recruitment procedures and complete rigorous checks to ensure that only those suitable to work with children do so. Staff are vigilant and ensure good levels of security to prevent unauthorised people entering the nursery.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenable all staff to consistently give children the time they need to think about and respond to the questions that staff ask nensure that younger children have plenty of opportunities to practise their number skills, by recognising and building on the opportunities that occur in children's everyday play and activities.