Teeny Feet Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children play in a friendly, familiar atmosphere with staff who know them all very well. They settle quickly and develop close bonds with their key person. Children benefit from consistent care practices and challenge because staff share key information with each other to support them.

Children thoroughly enjoy exploring the outside world. They show awe and wonder and sometimes concern when weather changes from sunshine to heavy snow. Children explore their imaginations outside, acting out experiences from home, such as cooking meals for others.

They express themselves confidently, telling others what their role is and... how they can join in.Children play well with each other, showing respect, care and friendly behaviour towards their peers. Older children show compassion towards the younger children.

They have opportunities to play in their age groups as well as a nursery unit. The children respond to each other's needs, learning to cooperate and negotiate in their collaborative play.Children develop plenty of independence skills.

For example, young toddlers watch their older friends, as positive role models, to learn how to put their wellington boots on. Children listen to instructions to wipe their noses and dispose of the tissues appropriately. They confidently tell staff when they need to use the toilet, expressing their own needs.

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

Staff are eager to increase their professional knowledge and link new information to how they can support individual children's development. Staff attend ongoing training and have regular discussions about changes to practice through staff meetings and training days.Overall, children's communication and language is promoted well.

Staff use effective and expressive language to engage children in meaningful conversations. They use appropriate language to help extend children's vocabulary. However, some younger, less-confident children do not always receive as much engagement and conversation from staff to support their confidence to vocalise in English or their home language.

Children make choices as to what and who to play with during play sessions. They learn to take responsibility for their resources, for example by tidying up toys before getting others out. However, routine times of day, such as snack time, sometimes inhibit children's opportunities to complete their play to their satisfaction.

Members of the management team are committed to making continuous improvements to the provision. They encourage staff to engage with parents to help identify changes to improve the environment. Staff work closely as a team to introduce new ideas and develop the setting.

They work positively with staff at other settings to support children's eventual transition to school. Staff develop close professional relationships with their child's key person. This helps to provide a consistent approach to children's ongoing development.

Parents make positive comments about the care their children receive and the progress they are making. They feel confident to leave their children in staff's care. Parents have close professional relationships with their key person, who provides a consistent approach to children's ongoing development.

Staff act as very positive role models for the children. They work closely as a team, supporting each other and identifying each other strengths and weaknesses within their roles. Children mirror this through positive relationships with their peers.

They have clear explanations for and discussions about appropriate behaviour towards their friends and have a clear knowledge of right and wrong.Young children confidently explore their play environment. They experiment with resources, watching balls disappear at the top of the tower and re-appear at the bottom.

They squeal with delight as they repeat the exercise over and over again. Staff encourage children to explore further by extending their play through discussion and gentle, caring engagement. Children's achievements are recognised through claps, hugs and cheers.

Younger children develop a clear sense of pride and self-worth.Staff use opportunities well to share stories and songs with children. They choose familiar stories that they can join in with.

More-confident children happily join in the actions and words and predict what will happen next by showing staff the next action.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a confident knowledge of what to do if they have a concern about a child in their care.

They attend regular training and discussions to test their knowledge and to update any new changes to regulations. Children learn to keep themselves safe throughout the day. They negotiate steps from an early age, confidently using the wall to balance, and make the step down into the next room.

Staff support children's understanding of safety through clear explanations and instructions. They encourage children to assess risks themselves, helping them to understand their own abilities.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide further engagement for younger children with less-developed communication and language skills to help support their confidence and social skills revise the purpose of routine parts of the day to provide extended learning opportunities for all children.