Tees Valley Tots

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Since the last inspection, the management team and all staff have worked tirelessly with the local authority advisor to make necessary improvements to the setting. All areas of the nursery have been reflected upon and significant changes have been made.

The setting is warm, welcoming and key persons know their children well. Enhancements have been made to all rooms. These provide children with more opportunities to explore and follow their own interests.

Staff plan activities that meet children's needs and encourage them to develop new skills. For example, staff in the baby room demonstrate what noises farm animals mak...e. Young babies watch, listen and repeat the noises.

Staff shower children with praise and encouragement for their achievements. Children have regular access to outdoor play. They climb on the large climbing frame and propel themselves on push-along toys.

Furthermore, children roll and squeeze dough and thread shapes onto shoe laces. Babies confidently walk along while holding onto low-level furniture. This helps to develop their physical skills.

Children explore sensory materials such as porridge, cereal and iced jelly. They make marks in the porridge and watch as it drops from their fingers. Young children excitedly shake and bang rattles and pots and pans together to make different sounds.

Older children play electronic instruments. Staff harness this excitement and encourage children to make more music as they sing songs.

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

The management team evaluates the effectiveness of the setting.

Regular team meetings have been implemented to discuss the development of the setting, the children and any steps needed to make further improvements. All staff are trained in paediatric first aid and have up-to-date safeguarding training. The management team has an effective supervision programme for all staff which provides support and coaching.

However, they have not yet successfully identified further training to help raise the quality of teaching even higher.Overall, relationships with parents are positive. They are very complimentary about the setting.

Staff exchange information about children's daily activities and parents provide information about their children's interests at home. Initial visits support children to settle into the setting. Staff gather records and information to ensure the needs of all children are met.

For example, they obtain all relevant information relating to children's health needs. However, staff do not gather sufficient information from parents about what children already know and can do when they first start at the setting.Children's communication skills are well supported.

For example, story and singing times are interactive and engaging. Older children listen attentively and excitedly join in, pretending to be characters from the story. Staff incorporate the teaching of mathematics into everyday activities.

For example, children count as they add matchsticks to play dough and discuss the number of sides on blocks as they build.Changes to the menu mean that children have healthy meals and snacks each day. Staff use snack and mealtimes as an opportunity to talk to children about the importance of eating healthily.

Children gain independence skills as they serve themselves. Furthermore, staff encourage children to self-register, make independent choices in their play and attend to their own relevant personal care needs. This helps develop the skills needed for future learning.

The management team has effective partnerships with speech and language therapists and the local authority special educational needs coordinator. This helps managers to access support for children should they need it. However, there is scope to further develop relationships with other early years providers to ensure a more consistent approach to children's learning and development.

Staff effectively observe and regularly assess the progress children make. They identify appropriate next steps in learning and ensure that activities are exciting, stimulating and meet the children's individual needs.Staff provide gentle reminders to children about their conduct and what is expected of them.

This helps them to develop a sense of right and wrong. When children struggle with regulating their behaviour, staff provide support and reassurance. They encourage children to share, take turns and play cooperatively together.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding issues. They have a secure understanding of the signs that would give them cause for concern about a child's welfare.

The management team has robust recruitment processes to ensure the suitability of adults working with children. Staff receive regular updates and training about safeguarding and child protection. They are aware of wider safeguarding issues.

All staff are confident of the procedures to follow should an allegation be made against a member of staff. Staff complete daily checks and risk assessments that help to provide children with a safe environment.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nestablish a more focused programme of professional development that helps to raise the quality of teaching to an even higher level gather more detailed information from parents about what a child already knows and can do when they first start at the setting further develop the partnerships with other providers so that fuller information about children's learning and development is exchanged.