The Avenue Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff create a warm, welcoming environment for children, where they are safe and well cared for. Children demonstrate that they feel happy, confident and secure.

Staff develop strong bonds with children. They take the time to get to know their individual personalities, interests and routines well. This has been particularly successful in supporting babies and those who are new to the nursery to settle happily.

Older children develop strong friendships and are kind and considerate towards their friends. For instance, they wait patiently while their friends take turns in 'splatting' foam cakes. Leaders and staff organise... a broad curriculum for children, to motivate their play and learning.

Toys and resources are plentiful and staff provide a wealth of activities that support children's individual interests. Children are keen to learn and concentrate well in activities. For instance, pre-school children sit together and talk about visiting the beach.

They take turns in speaking and staff remind children to put their hands up so that everyone can have a turn to talk. Children confidently express their views and opinions, showing important skills they need for their future learning. Children behave well and are kind and considerate towards their friends.

Staff remind children of the expectations of behaviour and praise their behaviour, such as 'good sharing'.

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

Leaders, managers and staff work well together. Regular meetings provide effective coaching and supervision opportunities to help develop good teaching skills.

Staff benefit from regular and pertinent training to help develop their knowledge, particularly to support children's social skills. For instance, they have recently completed training to enable them to support children's positive behaviour successfully.The member of staff with the lead role for supporting children with special educational needs/and or disabilities (SEND) is passionate and dedicated in her role.

She works very closely with children, parents, staff and other professionals to ensure that children benefit from any additional support they need. Staff implement strategies suggested by specialists and show a strong and consistent commitment to help narrow gaps in children's learning and development. Children with SEND receive good support and progress very well.

Staff make regular observations of children as they play, and closely monitor the progress they make. They create an interesting and varied curriculum, based on children's current interests, to help motivate children's play and learning. However, staff do not consistently use their knowledge of what children know and can do to plan precisely for what they want them to learn next.

Staff teach children about the benefits of being healthy and physically active. For instance, older children learn how to pedal tricycles and confidently navigate around their friends in the outside play space. Babies confidently learn to master their physical skills.

They take steps as staff encourage and supervise them closely. Staff provide nutritious meals and snacks and adapt these to meet the dietary needs of all children. Staff support babies and toddlers to try new foods and encourage them to feed themselves independently.

Older children learn the importance of drinking water regularly during warmer weather to keep themselves hydrated.Parents speak highly of the staff and the care their children receive. Staff regularly share children's achievements and suggest ideas of how parents can support children's learning at home.

However, sometimes staff do not use these good parent partnerships to gain precise information about what children know and can do, when they first start, to help maximise opportunities to develop children's learning from the outset.Children develop good listening and attention skills and concentrate well in activities that interest them. Staff capture opportunities to introduce new learning in children's play.

For instance, they teach children about the differences between tigers and lions. Pre-school children notice the differences in the animals' fur and eagerly share this new knowledge with staff and their friends. In group activities, staff recognise children who are quieter and less confident to talk.

They give them time to think through and share ideas and they value their contributions. Children develop good communication skills and are confident to share their thoughts and ideas.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The management team implements robust procedures to ensure the suitability of all staff, including those who are new to the nursery. Staff have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. They receive regular updates and training on safeguarding and child protection and are aware of wider safeguarding issues.

All staff are confident in 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: gather more detailed information from parents about what children already know and can do when they first start at the setting strengthen staff knowledge of how to plan more precisely for what they want children to learn next.

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