Snapdragons Nursery and Out of School Club Corsham

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy their time in this bright and welcoming nursery. They readily separate from their parents.

For example, babies hold out their hands and smile when they arrive as they see their key person. Children are motivated and keen to explore the wide range of interesting activities and resources. Staff are responsive and sensitive to babies' individual needs.

They intuitively sing rhymes and read stories during play. This inspires babies to respond appropriately and move around. Children have lots of opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles.

They enjoy good outdoor experiences. For example, older c...hildren learn to build a waterproof shelter to protect them from the rain, as they learn to thread and tie ropes together. Younger children develop their physical skills as they roll wheels down ramps, while babies explore the outdoor area and enjoy playing in the mud kitchen.

Staff talk to the children as they eat their nutritious home-cooked meals, explaining that the vegetables will make them 'big and strong'. Children develop independence skills. For example, young children serve their food, pour their drinks and put on their coats and boots to go outdoors.

When children have settled in, staff use their interests to plan activities. They observe and assess children accurately to identify what they need to learn next and use this information to help children progress. Swift action is taken to address gaps in children's learning.

Consequently, all children make good progress and are well prepared for their eventual move to school.

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

The managers and staff are committed to providing the best possible care and education for all children. They plan a broad and exciting curriculum that helps children effectively to make good progress from their starting points and develop the skills they need for future learning.

Staff deployment is good. They work well together to ensure that children's safety is always fully promoted. Leaders provide yearly appraisals to staff and regular supervision meetings where they can discuss their role and ongoing training needs.

Staff keep up to date with current practice and receive regular training. For example, staff have recently attended training to support their understanding of how babies develop.The manager and provider evaluate the quality of care and education effectively.

They gather feedback from parents, children and staff to help make continual improvements.Parents appreciate the care and time taken by practitioners to provide feedback about their child's learning. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning, for instance, through questionnaires, parents' evenings and daily communication.

Children follow instructions and have good social skills which help them interact well with others. Staff are clear and consistent in their expectations and use positive teaching techniques to promote good behaviour. For example, they celebrate things children have done well, to help boost their self-esteem.

Staff use the information they gather from observations to help them set challenges that build on what children already know. When children first start in the nursery, the key person finds out from parents about children's routines at home, their interests and preferences. However, staff do not always find out detailed information about what children can already do, to help them plan for the next stage in children's development right from the start.

Staff extend some language skills well. For example, they give commentary to children's play, which helps children develop new vocabulary. However, staff are not always consistent in their teaching techniques for promoting other language and thinking skills.

For example, they do not always give children enough time to think and respond to spoken prompts, and questions are not always geared to the child's developmental stage and level of understanding.The manager and staff have high expectations, overall, for the children's learning and their readiness for school. They work well with other professionals to provide consistent support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff understand their responsibilities to protect children and keep them safe. Staff know how to respond if they are concerned about the welfare of a child in their care and can recognise possible signs that a child may be at risk of harm.

Leaders use regular opportunities and a range of communication methods to ensure staff know how to respond if they are concerned about the welfare of a child. Leaders implement good systems for monitoring safeguarding policies and practices in the nursery.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: make greater use of opportunities during play and activities to increase children's thinking skills and promote their language development further by, for example, using skilful questioning techniques and giving children time to respond gather even more information from parents about what their child can already do when they first join the nursery, to help staff have a clear picture to help plan for children's next steps in development.

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