Spring - RAF Benson

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff monitor children's progress effectively and they know the children well. They plan an exciting range of activities based on children's interests.

Children progress well from their starting points and develop effective skills they need for their future learning and to support their readiness for school. Children are sociable, independent and eager learners. Staff provide varied opportunities for babies to use their senses.

For instance, babies explore animals in the sand, and show great curiosity to investigate and handle a range of natural objects. All staff place a high focus on supporting children's language de...velopment. They listen attentively to older children and regularly engage them in conversations about their lives outside of the nursery.

Staff working with the toddlers provide a rich range of vocabulary for children to hear and repeat. Children's well-being is given a good priority in the nursery. Children develop secure attachments to staff, who are responsive to their needs.

Staff speak to children warmly and listen to their ideas with interest. Children confidently move around the nursery, choosing what they would like to do. Staff encourage children's positive behaviour.

They regularly praise children for their efforts. Staff use additional funding well. For example, additional training and resources help staff to promote children's communication and language skills.

This helps to narrow any gaps in achievement.

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

Leaders work well together to monitor the quality of the curriculum provided. They use many methods to evaluate the provision.

For example, they seek the views of parents and staff to help raise standards. Since the last inspection, they have focused well on helping staff to improve their knowledge about children's development to accurately identify their next steps.Babies settle well because staff get to know their routines.

Staff use routine activities to interact with babies, such as singing and talking to the children consistently. This helps to develop babies' early stages of speech. Children enjoy good opportunities to be active and develop their physical skills indoors and outside.

Babies crawl, learn to pull themselves to standing and take their first steps. Older children excitedly climb, dig or explore the sensory areas.Staff support children to lead active and healthy lifestyles.

Children eat nutritious and healthy meals and have regular outdoor play. They are encouraged to follow good hygiene routines from a young age. Staff encourage children to be independent.

For example, older children serve themselves food and pour their own drinks.Children settle quickly and demonstrate they feel safe and secure in the nursery. They form strong bonds with caring staff.

However, on occasions there are times in the toddler room where staffing ratios do meet the qualification requirements for children aged two to three years. Although this is a breach in requirements, during the inspection it was observed that this did not have an impact on children's safety, well-being and development.Staff support children well, such as when children first start, when moving rooms and when preparing children for starting school.

This includes partnership working with parents and other professionals. Staff communicate effectively with parents using a variety of methods, for instance through daily discussions and the sharing of photographs and information about children's achievements. Parents are complimentary about the nursery and the good progress their children have made.

Leaders have developed a programme for staff's ongoing professional development with regular supervision meetings and opportunities for staff to complete training. For example, staff have applied what they have learned from their recent speech and language training to further support children's communication skills. However, leaders recognise there are some stronger areas of teaching across the nursery.

They are keen to continually improve performance management opportunities that aim to manage staff's workloads and raise the quality and consistency of teaching, so that children make even more rapid progress in their learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff understand their responsibilities to keep children safe from harm.

They know how to report any concerns they may have about children's welfare. Managers and staff have a clear understanding of local child protection procedures and wider safeguarding issues. Leaders are proactive in researching a wide range of safeguarding information, to increase staff's knowledge of how to identify and manage risks to children.

Recruitment and vetting procedures are robust to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure appropriate staff qualifications meet the ratio requirements at all times.08/10/2019 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on the systems for performance management opportunities and managing staff's workloads, to further develop their skills, to help enrich the practice and raise the teaching to an even higher level.