Shapes Day Nursery, Banstead

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happy and settle quickly to play with their friends.

Parents come into the nursery to drop off and collect their children. They exchange information with friendly and caring staff. Babies are warmly greeted and snuggle in for cuddles with staff, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure.

Children develop strong nurturing bonds with the kind and familiar staff. Children make independent choices and access a range of well-organised resources. They confidently explore the spacious environment.

Children have a positive attitude to their learning and they take part in activities with enthusiasm a...nd excitement. For example, after reading the book 'The Gingerbread Man', they recreate the story with puppets. Children run and laugh with staff as they have great fun repeating the key phrases from the story.

This helps to promote their early literacy skills. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their starting points.Children play harmoniously together.

They are kind and thoughtful. Older children develop good manners as they help each other at lunchtime. Children's behaviour is good.

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

Staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and develop. They use their observations and assessments to build on what children already know and can do. Overall, staff are clear about what they intend children to learn.

However, some of the activities that staff plan lack sufficient challenge or can be too restrictive to help progress children's development further.Staff know how to support children with SEND. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with parents and other professionals to identify, plan and coordinate support for them.

Staff make effective use of funding to provide high levels of care and help children achieve their goals.Staff teach children about healthy lifestyles. The cook prepares healthy meals and snacks in their on-site kitchen.

Staff talk to children about which foods are healthy. Children often return for seconds at mealtimes. All children have daily fresh air and exercise in the garden.

This supports their health.Children readily use mathematics in everyday play. For instance, they explore magnetic shapes.

Staff skilfully encourage the children to count and talk about the shapes they can see. Children develop good early mathematics skills.Staff support children's listening and literacy skills well.

Babies sit quietly and are fascinated as they look at books and turn the pages. Pre-school children predict what will happen in their favourite, familiar stories and assume the role of characters with confidence. They eagerly talk with staff about how a tadpole will grow into a frog.

However, at times, some adult-led group times can be a little long, meaning that young children can lose focus.Children in this nursery are encouraged to be independent. Staff skilfully give them time to have a go.

For example, babies begin to feed themselves, and toddlers are confident to put their own coats on. Older children are extremely independent with their self-care. This develops children's confidence in their own abilities.

Children's behaviour is very good. Staff are positive role models. They provide lots of praise and encouragement to children.

Staff model how to take turns. Children go on to copy the positive example provided and they share resources well.Parents are very happy with the nursery.

Staff have built strong partnerships with them, and they feel informed about what their child is learning. Parents say that they are provided with good support for their children to get them prepared for their next stage of education.Managers seek training opportunities for staff to further develop their knowledge.

Regular supervisions with staff are carried out, with targets set to support them in their roles. Managers support staff well-being and evaluate workloads. The staff report that they feel supported and a valued member of the team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Managers and the staff team understand how to identify the signs and symptoms that could indicate a child is at risk. They clearly understand how to report any concerns about children's welfare or the behaviour of another adult.

Staff have a broad understanding of wider safeguarding issues and how to identify and report any concerns. They are aware of the whistle-blowing procedures if they feel that managers are not addressing any concerns. Managers implement robust recruitment and induction procedures and ensure that all staff are suitable.

This supports staff to remain alert to their responsibility to keep children safe. Staff make sure that children are able to play in a safe and secure environment, using risk assessments and following detailed policies and procedures.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review adult-led group times for young children to reduce long periods of sitting support staff to focus more precisely on what they want children to learn from activities, to offer new challenges and help children make the best possible progress.