South Lee Day Nursery Baby Room

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children develop strong bonds with their key persons.

They arrive and settle into nursery well. Staff use their knowledge of babies' likes and dislikes to help comfort babies who may arrive unsettled. They follow children's routines from home, such as nap times.

This consistency helps babies to feel secure and comfortable in their surroundings.New babies who are transitioning into nursery are well supported. Parents stay for some of their sessions and babies learn that when their parents leave, they also return later.

Any babies who would arrive upset when they first started, now arrive smiling and are happy t...o come into nursery.Over time, children develop positive relationships with staff and other babies. They enjoy playing and exploring both on their own and with their peers.

Babies who are learning to walk make good progress. Staff encourage them to stand for longer periods of time and with greater stability. They plan the environment to support babies' developing mobility.

Through games such as 'peekaboo' in the playhouse or 'cooking' in the home corner, babies build their strength and coordination. They pull themselves up and smile with delight at their efforts and from the praise of staff.

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

Staff prioritise supporting babies to develop their communication skills.

They sing in soothing tones which helps to settle any upset children. Staff also sing songs and nursery rhymes throughout the session which the babies enjoy joining in with.Staff teach babies of different ages and abilities effectively, during activities they provide.

For example, babies enjoy exploring the spring-themed tray that staff have set up. While some babies are learning the sounds animals make, older babies learn how to use Makaton and the signs for different farm animals such as 'pig' and 'sheep'.Leaders and managers reflect on both staff practice and the nursery environment.

This leads to positive changes, such as the opening up of space to create more room for children to develop their play.Staff support children to develop healthy lifestyles. They clean their hands before they eat and provide fresh fruit and drinks for snack.

However, the organisation of snack time means babies can be sitting for long periods. Their individual needs are not considered, as some babies tire and become unsettled waiting for their nap time.Staff read books with babies regularly.

However, on occasions, books are shared at times that are not always appropriate. For example, at the end of snack time when the babies have been sitting still for long periods and, at times, when other staff are busy chatting around the same area and noise levels are quite high. This can make it hard for babies to engage with the story and develop a love of reading and books.

The ethos of the setting is to use 'in the moment planning', which they describe as enabling children to follow their interests and ideas. Staff have a good understanding of what their key children need to learn next and how to support this. Using children's current interests helps keep them engaged.

Staff also plan topics for the week. These supplement children's learning with events that are happening in the wider world. For example, cultural celebrations and the seasons of the year.

Babies are able to choose what they play with. They can self-select puzzles and toys from low-level storage. This supports their ability to make independent choices and have autonomy over their play.

Staff regularly track children's development. This helps them to identify children who are making less progress in their learning. They involve parents throughout and seek to understand how children are developing at home.

Staff are proactive in accessing early help. They are quick to seek out courses that will help support children in the achievement of their goals.Partnerships with parents are strong.

They comment on how supportive staff are and how well they know their children individually. Parents feel the care given is exemplary. They are very happy with the nursery, and like that siblings get to see each other at points in the day.

Parents learn about their children's day and progress through a combination of updates through an online app and verbal feedback at drop-off and collection times.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff understand their duties to protect children from harm.

They have a good understanding of the indicators that a child may be at risk of harm. This includes the broader aspects of safeguarding, such as female genital mutilation. Staff risk assess the environment and resources to ensure they are safe for children.

They maintain accurate records of children's attendance and are prompt to follow up on children who have not arrived for their session. Leaders follow robust recruitment procedures to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove the organisation of snack time to support children's individual needs support staff to deliver story times more effectively to ensure that children can engage and develop a love of books and reading.

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