St Michaels Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement There are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning that children receive.

Although planning is in place, this is not implemented consistently to ensure all children make the best progress they are capable of from their individual starting points. There are times when staff are too focused on daily routines and interrupt children's play to move them on to another activity or to tidy away. Some hygiene routines are not implemented well enough to fully support children's good health.

That said, relationships between staff and children are strong. Staff know the children well and all children, including those w...ith special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are obviously happy and settled in their care. They go to staff for cuddles and reassurance and babies in particular snuggle into staff as they look at pictures in a book or sing familiar rhymes.

Staff teach children the importance of being kind to their friends. Older children are confident to communicate. They happily talk to staff and visitors about starting school and the name of their new teachers.

Staff share information with schools that children will move on to so that transitions are smooth and children settle quickly at the next stage of their learning journey. Staff work with outside professionals to ensure that children with SEND receive the right support at the right time.

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

The manager is experienced and has a good understanding of what children need to learn at each stage of their development.

She has a clear vision for the future of the nursery and has already implemented changes in the short time she has been in post. However, some staff appear reluctant to make the necessary changes to improve their practice. As a result, the quality of teaching is not consistently good across all areas of the nursery.

Although the manager has introduced new planning systems, some staff are still unsure of the intent of activities and how to extend them to ensure children's learning is specifically tailored to their individual needs. Some activities provided do not stimulate children's interests and children wander around or disengage. In addition, at times some staff's interactions with children, especially in the pre-school room, are not as good as they should be.

Staff appear too intent on rigidly implementing routines, such as sitting at a table doing paperwork, sweeping the floor or tidying away activities, rather than talking to the children and supporting their ongoing learning. This results in some children having limited choices in their play.Staff benefit from supervisions and staff meetings where they discuss their practice and areas the manager has identified for them to improve.

However, they do not have professional development opportunities or ongoing training to enable them to carry out their roles and responsibilities and raise the quality of teaching across the nursery to good.The manager ensures staff are knowledgeable about safeguarding children as she asks them questions and has introduced quizzes to test their knowledge. As a result, all staff have a good understanding of the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child in their care or a member of staff.

Hygiene practices are not always as robust as they should be. Some staff wipe children's noses but do not wash or sanitise their hands afterwards. This does not help to promote children's good health.

Staff share information with parents about what their child has been doing while at nursery. Parents say that they are happy with the care their children receive and the information that staff share with them. They say that their children ask to come to nursery and are happy to attend.

Children do enjoy messy play. They concentrate as they glue and stick paper and material onto bottle tops. Even the youngest children make marks with large chalks and some older children can form recognisable letters.

Babies explore different animal shaped puzzles and staff encourage them to repeat the sounds that the animals make. Children join in singing familiar songs with great gusto.All children are encouraged to develop their independence.

Babies are beginning to feed themselves and older children access the toilet independently in readiness for school. Children's physical skills are supported as they learn to roll balls to each other and crawl through a tunnel.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date provide the manager with the support that they need to make the necessary changes that will raise the quality to a consistently good level 20/09/2024 provide staff with professional development opportunities to ensure that all children receive high-quality teaching and learning experiences that will enhance their learning.20/09/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to implement more stringent hygiene procedures to ensure that children's good health is supported at all times.

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