Scribbles Day Nursery (Gorleston) Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are warmly welcomed by staff upon arrival at nursery.

They freely choose from a range of well-planned activities, which are carefully organised to capture their interest. All children are actively engaged at all times and extremely well supported by skilled staff. Those children who are new to the nursery, in addition to learning to speak English as an additional language, are provided with close, sensitive support to ensure that their early experiences are positive.

Children use their senses as they touch and smell the range of different fruit and vegetables in the pretend 'farm shop'. Children explore... the different characteristics as staff provide commentary and extend their learning. They learn to handle and use real tools safely as they cut up a pepper and look at what is inside.

Later, children begin to learn about similarities and differences between the seeds of a pepper to those of a pear. Others are learning to listen and follow simple instructions. They wait excitedly as staff create anticipation using the words, 'ready, steady, 1, 2, 3, pour and stop' as they scoop up and pour out glittery water, splashing and giggling with delight.

Staff have particularly high expectations of children's behaviour and model expected behaviours at all times. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn to use a range of strategies to explore and to recognise their own emotions. They learn how to regulate their own behaviour and to understand the impact that their actions can have on other children.

They practise breathing to calm themselves and to remember to show others when they are feeling happy, sad or cross, using their facial expressions or selecting an appropriate visual image.

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

Leaders and managers are highly focused on making the nursery the best it can be. Management are meticulous in monitoring the provision.

They continuously evaluate what is on offer, taking on board feedback from users and swiftly making changes when they see opportunities to further enhance the provision. Recent changes made to the way children are grouped together within the nursery and significant improvements to the outdoor play space mean that children have more space and better opportunities to explore the rich learning environment.Management have high regard for the staff team and their well-being.

New staff receive a very effective induction and, as a result, they have a clear understanding of their role. Established staff receive regular and relevant supervision, room-based support and opportunities to attend a broad range of training. Staff put what they have learned into practice when working with the children, for example, they use simple sign language and create a rich, 'communication friendly' environment.

Staff place a strong emphasis on building children's communication and language skills. They give children opportunities to hear a wealth of language and to practise their speaking skills. Staff make the best use of stories.

They read with animation, stopping to let even the youngest children join in with repetitive refrains. They use songs and props to engage and inspire children, encouraging them to use their voices as they make the different animal sounds. Older children delight as they practise signing words, such as 'stop, wait' and 'sit' and later explore the different letter sounds, blending these together to make new words.

Children have numerous opportunities to become independent. At snack times, they pour drinks for their friends, counting out the cups as they go. They choose and peel their own fruit, persevering as they break the outer skin to start the process.

Children know how to handle writing tools and use scissors safely, making their own pictures, before displaying them in a frame in the 'gallery'. They learn about living things when they help to feed and care for the resident tortoise.The designated special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has an excellent overview of those children in the nursery with SEND.

Individual support plans, along with regular assessments and close partnership working with parents and other agencies, mean that children are given the best opportunities to achieve. Well-informed decisions about the use of additional funding means that children benefit from enhanced sensory room facilities. They also have improved technological resources and have an upcoming opportunity to learn about nature, watching chicks hatch from eggs in an incubator and observing the life cycle of butterflies.

Partnerships between staff and parents are strong. Parents feel fully involved in their children's care and education and make good use of the nursery's online application to keep themselves up to date. Staff are highly sensitive to the effects of the COVID–19 pandemic on children and their families.

During national restrictions, they worked tirelessly, offering families a point of contact and practical support and guidance, to help children to continue their learning. For example, they provided 'worry bags' with activities to help children to explore and share their feelings during uncertain times.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and managers have an excellent understanding of how to support children's welfare. The designated safeguarding lead practitioners have a secure knowledge of safeguarding and ensure that all staff receive mandatory safeguarding training and that their knowledge remains up to date. There are robust safeguarding procedures, which all staff follow and understand.

Staff are confident in identifying and reporting any concerns about children's welfare. Robust safe recruitment and vetting procedures are followed to ensure staff working with children are suitable. Children are kept safe as staff remain vigilant and supervise children extremely well.