Snitterfield Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children separate happily from their parents on arrival and are keen to get involved in the available play activities. They are inquisitive and motivated to learn. A settling-in period is agreed with parents in accordance with their child's needs, which helps children to feel emotionally secure from the onset of their care at the nursery.

Relationships between the staff and children are very good. Staff know the children well as individuals and meet their care and learning needs effectively. Staff observe children and assess their different stages of development.

Children's learning builds successfully on what they alr...eady know and can do. Children behave well. They understand expectations for behaviour, such as sharing and taking turns.

Children show consideration for others, join in and make friends. Staff encourage children to develop independence, including managing their own hygiene and personal needs, and making choices and decisions about their play. Children enjoy activities outdoors every day.

They eat healthy food, and staff are fully aware of their dietary needs. Staff are diligent in ensuring that children do not receive food that would cause them harm. The youngest children are curious about the small apples that fall from a tree in the outdoor area.

They understand that these are different from the ones provided at snack time, and they know that they should not eat them.

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

Children develop good knowledge and skills across all seven areas of learning, which prepares them well for the eventual move on to school. Staff initially obtain information from parents on their child's stage of development, and they then continue to work with parents to ensure that children are challenged effectively to reach the next stages in their learning.

Staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the additional support that they need. They work in cooperation with parents and other professionals to ensure that children make as much progress as they can.Children are confident communicators.

Staff model clear pronunciation and give children time to put their thoughts into words while engaged in conversation with them and when asking them open-ended questions. Staff caring for two-year-old children offer good support as the children progress from putting two words together to forming short sentences. The children enjoy singing, and staff sing at a pace that enables these young children to join in with some of the words as well as the actions.

Children's handling skills are good. Staff provide toys and tools that help children to grip with their thumb and two fingers, which leads on to good pencil control.Older children carefully and skilfully colour in pictures of their favourite things.

They collect name-cards and copy their names. Children independently write for different purposes. For example, they write food and drinks orders in their cafe.

Children join with their friends for imaginative role play. Some children pretend to be sitting in the doctor's waiting room. They look at some magazines while they are waiting.

Other children take on the roles of mummies and babies, and they change the language they use and tones of their voices accordingly.Staff encourage two-year-old children to investigate melting ice, and the children realise that as the blocks of ice melt, the shells that are in the ice are released. Staff suggest that the children pour warm water on the ice, and the children are excited to discover that this speeds up the melting process.

Older children's creativity is generally supported appropriately. However, staff do not consistently offer opportunities for these children to independently explore different play resources and develop their own ideas.Policies and procedures are effective and inclusive for those children who attend.

Some practice helps children to recognise their own unique qualities and the characteristics they share with others. However, staff's practice is not fully effective in helping children to learn about communities, families, beliefs and traditions outside of their own experience.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff complete training to keep their child protection knowledge up to date. They are aware of the signs of abuse and neglect, and they know the local referral procedures to follow if they have a concern. Staff are aware of the duty to prevent children from being drawn into situations that put them at risk.

The premises are safe and secure so that children cannot leave unsupervised and so that unwanted visitors cannot gain access. Staff identify and successfully minimise potential risks indoors and outdoors.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: noffer children more opportunities to explore different play resources and find things out for themselves build on current practice for teaching children about communities, families, beliefs and traditions beyond their own.

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