Swallows Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The management team works closely with staff to provide a safe, caring and homely environment. Staff ensure that each child is valued and listened to.

They have high expectations for every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children's unique achievements are celebrated and shared with parents. Staff seek relevant information from parents and accurately assess children's learning.

Staff consider each child's interests, capabilities and stage of development when planning the curriculum. As a result, children are motivated to learn and make good progress in their development.... Staff are proud of their successful partnership with the local nursing home, which supports children's social and emotional skills very well.

Staff know children and their families well. Children are happy and settled, enjoying warm friendships with all staff. They learn about cultures and traditions through appropriate stories and interesting activities.

Children's behaviour is very good. They show high levels of respect for each other, taking turns, sharing toys and playing together well. The nursery's collection of rabbits, cat, guinea pigs and chickens provides children with daily opportunities to learn how to care for pets.

Children enjoy helping to change the bedding, and gain an understanding of how to keep themselves safe when they feed the animals.

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

The management team and staff have worked well together to successfully address the actions and recommendations raised at the last inspection. As a result, staff have improved their knowledge of safeguarding issues and the required progress checks regarding children's development are completed.

Partnerships with parents are very good. There are regular meetings and detailed records to share information about children's progress. Parents are invited to take part in nursery activities.

For example, parents and children join in a celebration for Guy Fawkes Day, enjoying hot dogs and hot chocolate in the garden. Parents are highly positive in their comments, especially regarding children's educational development and how well staff care for them.Staff plan interesting activities for children to learn about other cultures and traditions.

For example, to celebrate Diwali, staff decorate the nursery with extra lights, and children carefully follow lights on the floor to the bathroom. Children listen attentively to the legend about Rama and Sita, and make small clay pots and Rangoli patterns with coloured rice. They enjoy listening to world music and dancing with scarves.

Children frequently share books and are attentive listeners. They sing songs together and enjoy performing the actions.Children regularly go to the local nursing home to meet the residents.

Together they happily enjoy craft making, wearing dressing-up clothes and singing songs. Staff have identified that children are becoming more confident to talk with the elderly people, to find out what they like and how they feel. There is shared delight during these visits.

Staff regularly discuss the observations of children's progress and their evaluation of activities. The management team monitors the progress children make to ensure all areas of learning are met. Staff receive good support to help them make better use of the recently introduced online digital resource, to reduce their workload and use of printing paper.

There are very good partnerships with a range of professionals, such as specialist teachers. Staff seek their advice and guidance effectively and plan targeted support for individual children. This helps children with SEND to achieve the best possible outcomes.

There are very effective partnerships with local schools. Staff take children to attend organised sessions to help them become familiar with the building and new teachers, before they start school. Staff contact the schools to ensure children have settled in well.

They provide ongoing support to the families, especially for children with SEND.Generally, each area of learning and development is implemented through a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities. However, occasionally, some group times are too long and staff overly direct what children should do.

As a result, children's level of interest and participation decreases.Most staff develop children's communication and language skills well. They ask questions to help children to recall previous learning and to develop their ideas.

However, staff do not consistently help children to learn new words, or to build upon their existing vocabulary.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The management team ensures staff receive training.

Staff have a good understanding of the signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm, and they know how to seek help. Staff routinely check the garden for hazards before children go out. They follow meticulous procedures to ensure the animals do not present any risks.

Staff teach children about keeping safe, and help them to develop an awareness of the importance of their own well-being. The displays of advice help to raise awareness of safeguarding issues for families and staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consistently implement a mix of adult-led and child-initiated activities, to provide opportunities for children to make even better progress strengthen the teaching of communication and language to ensure all staff regularly help children to learn new words, or to build on their existing vocabulary.