The Abbey Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff support children to thrive in this nursery.

Children form trusting relationships with familiar staff, which helps them to feel settled. For example, staff in the baby room work hard to build loving relationships with the babies they look after. Babies snuggle into their key person when they are a little upset.

They soon settle as staff distract them with their favourite stories and songs. Toddlers enjoy socialising with their peers during mealtimes. Staff use these opportunities to encourage children's independence skills by supporting them to feed themselves.

They also support children with their commun...ication and language. Staff hold back-and-forth conversations with children which are appropriate for their stage of development. Children respond and enjoy sharing stories from their home life.

This shows that children can recall past events and articulate these well. Staff provide a wide range of learning experiences for all children in each of the rooms. As a result, children are happy and demonstrate good levels of engagement, which helps them to develop a positive attitude to learning.

The provider has also placed a strong emphasis on supporting children's communication and language skills. This works very well as children are becoming confident communicators, who are keen to express their thoughts about nursery. As one child said, 'I love seeing my friends.'



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

There is a clear and ambitious curriculum intent in place which is understood by staff. Staff use observations and assessments to plan children's next steps in learning. In the main, the curriculum is implemented effectively.

On rare occasions, the delivery of the curriculum does not always meet the individual learning styles of all children. Therefore, children who learn best through imaginative play and exploration lose focus when they are encouraged to engage in more structured learning experiences.Staff know children well and talk confidently about their current interests and likes.

They use this skilfully to plan learning experiences which ignite children's curiosity. For example, staff working with the toddlers know that they have a big interest in animals. Staff use this knowledge to plan animal-based activities that ignite toddlers' interests.

This helps children to achieve the skills they need to make good progress in their learning.Staff interactions with children are of high quality and support their communication and development. Staff ask age-appropriate questions, which promotes children's thinking and language.

This also helps to develop children's early literacy skills. On occasion, during group story time activities, staff do not always tailor these to take account of the different ways in which children learn. The activity goes on for too long for some children, which causes them to lose focus.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported with strategies that help them to understand routines. For example, staff use visual prompts during times of transition, such as lunchtime. This helps children understand what is happening next.

This also helps to support children's emotional well-being and their individual needs.Staff gather valuable information from parents, during their children's settling-in sessions. As a result, children benefit from a smooth transition into the setting, which supports their emotional well-being.

Staff use this information to get to know children's interests and plan their environment. For example, staff in the toddler room plan learning experiences using dinosaurs. This helps to support toddlers to engage and develop their self-confidence.

Parents speak highly of the setting and say that their children are happy here. They value the updates from staff regarding their children's development. Parents also appreciate the information relayed during handover times.

Staff work in partnership with parents of children with SEND by offering strategies to help support their children's learning at home. This communication helps to keep parents updated on their children's learning and care routines.There is a secure induction process in place which supports newer members of staff to develop their practice.

Staff keep their mandatory training, such as safeguarding and paediatric first-aid training, up to date. Staff are also dedicated to enhancing their practice and embark on different online training courses to support their professional development. This helps to improve the outcomes for children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding which puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to implement the curriculum to meet the unique learning styles of all children, to help them to develop their focus and remain engaged in their learning.

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