Snapdragons Nursery Atworth

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff organise the play spaces to meet children's interests and next steps in development. They have introduced a new curriculum to meet the changes to the statutory guidance and better support children's individual needs. Children enjoy exploring indoors and outdoors.

Children develop good attachments to the nurturing staff team. This helps those children to feel safe and secure when moving on to a new room in the nursery. Children readily make choices about what they want to do.

They learn new words and are kind to others. Children are becoming independent learners and are keen to join in. For example, older children... take turns in language activities, listening to animal sounds on a compact disc and matching it to the animal picture on laminated cards.

All children, including those learning to speak English as an additional language, communicate well and confidently express their ideas. They are developing the skills they need for their future learning and the move into school.Babies dig with wooden spoons in the sand tray outdoors and exclaim in delight when they uncover leaves hidden under the sand.

Toddlers play peekaboo as they hide under the scarves during movement and music time. Children recall past learning as they play, and receive praise and encouragement from staff, supporting their ongoing development. Parents do not come into the setting to drop children off, as they would have done before the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

However, they are now coming in to collect children at the end of the day. Children's daily activities and learning are shared effectively with parents at this handover time. In addition, staff and parents share information online and by telephone.

This helps support children's learning and care needs, both at the setting and at home.

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

Staff know the children well and engage them in exciting activities to stimulate their curiosity. Babies eagerly explore a selection of shiny objects, including metallic hoops, paper, card and boxes.

Staff talk to the babies, commenting on what they see the babies doing. They offer enthusiastic encouragement, so the babies continue trying to open the box. Babies smile when staff reward their efforts with lots of praise.

Older children explore pans full of conkers outdoors. They decide to use mallets to crack them open and see what is inside. Staff and children work out, together, how to hold the conkers to stop them rolling away.

Children celebrate their success in cracking open the conkers. They tell staff that the insides remind them of pineapples because they are yellow.Key persons form good relationships with parents and children.

They make accurate assessments of what children can do, using information about what children are interested in at home. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well and enjoy their time at the nursery.Staff help children manage emotions and prepare them for learning.

For example, at the start of the day, pre-school children take part in a physical small-group activity. Children relish the opportunity to jump, stamp, clap, and shout to relieve energy. Staff support children as they play, reminding them about kind hands, indoor voices, and praising children's efforts.

Children respond by sharing the toys well. For example, when playing with the toy knights, children work together to build a castle, discussing where the different blocks should go and whose knight will stand at the top.Staff and children are getting used to being together in larger groups again.

Children in toddler and pre-school rooms are no longer in small peer 'bubbles' as the COVID-19 restrictions have lifted. Staff are adapting organisation and planning to take this into account. However, on occasion, staff do not communicate effectively with each other to ensure children are fully engaged in their play.

For example, when a member of staff decided to take a group of toddlers outside, they did not ask another member of staff for help. This meant that some children had to wait to be helped into their outdoor clothes and, therefore, became restless and lost interest in going outside.The manager is aware of the importance of staff well-being and the impact that COVID-19 has had on them.

To support staff, the manager has worked with them to explore different ways of working. Staff have reduced the amount of paperwork they complete. They spend more time working with the children.

Children enjoy talking with staff and sharing what interests them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff understand their role in keeping children safe.

They know the possible signs and symptoms of abuse and the wider signs of safeguarding. They know how and when to contact other agencies to protect children's welfare and well-being. The manager has thorough recruitment processes and ongoing checks to make sure staff are suitable to work with children.

Daily checks are in place to remove potential hazards. Staff talk with children to help them assess and manage risks when taking part in different activities and using tools.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove the way staff communicate with each other to help children engage better with activities.