The Co-operative Childcare Carterton

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy to be at nursery. They feel safe in the care of the kind and nurturing staff.

These warm relationships and sense of children's security are evident across the nursery, and especially so in the baby room. Staff working with these very young children understand the importance of lots of smiles and cuddles and the reassurance of familiar faces to babies' sense of belonging. Throughout the nursery there are lots of happy and confident children thoroughly enjoying their play and learning.

Children learn effectively about acceptable behaviour. They cooperate well with requests from staff to help tidy up or... get ready for meal times. This means that valuable learning time is not lost and children are learning the benefits of being helpful.

Children make good progress as they move through the nursery. The leadership team ensure all staff understand the importance of focusing most on the key skills that will best support children in the next stage of their learning. There is a strong focus on helping children become inquisitive learners who can express their thoughts and make their own choices.

Children also have opportunities to learn more about their own, and other children's, interests, be that different foods or countries, dinosaurs or animals. This helps broaden children's experiences and understanding of the world around them.

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

Staff model language very well.

They adapt their interactions effectively to the ages of the children they are talking to. This helps ensure children build their understanding and vocabulary over time. This in turn means that children develop well into confident and capable communicators.

For example, babies hear and repeat back single words and babble. Toddlers are introduced to concepts such as 'stretchy' and 'longer' and older children enjoy back-and-forth conversations with staff.All children have plenty of opportunities to develop their physical skills.

This helps their coordination and strength, as well as helping them gain a positive view of following a healthy lifestyle. Babies delight in the sensory experience of sitting in a tray of warm water and bubbles. Older children have regular access to the outside area where they are encouraged to run, use large, wheeled toys and play with bats and balls.

Staff have a clear plan for the broad skills they want children to develop over time. The wide and interesting range of activities and resources gives children many opportunities to develop these. Staff also ensure that children are listened to and there are opportunities for them to follow their interests.

However, staff do not always clearly consider how best to use children's interests to focus teaching on what children will most benefit from learning next.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive very effective support. Leaders work closely with staff and parents to ensure children get any additional support they may need to get the most out of their time at nursery and make the progress of which they are capable.

There is a clear policy around the use of dummies within the nursery. Staff understand that sometimes children need these when feeling unsettled. They also recognise the impact dummies can have on children's developing language skills.

Sometimes children spend longer that they need with dummies in their mouths. This limits their opportunities to contribute to conversations and practise their developing speaking skills.Children find nursery fun and interesting.

They are keen to take part in all that is on offer. This means they cooperate happily when staff ask them to change activities because they are excited to find out what they will be doing next. For example, children are keen to gather together to sing or listen to stories.

They show they are gaining a very positive attitude towards learning.Babies form very secure attachments with staff. They reach out for cuddles when waking from their sleeps.

Older children are equally as relaxed around staff. These warm relationships help ensure children are confident to become increasingly independent to make choices and do things for themselves.Managers make accurate assessments about the quality of the provision.

They are very well-placed to further build on the existing good quality education and care staff provide. For example, they are planning to further support staff in the planning and delivery of the curriculum.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff, including the designated safeguarding lead, show a secure understanding of their role in keeping children safe. All staff receive regular training and the leadership team take effective steps to ensure that staff's knowledge remains up to date. Staff know how to recognise and respond to any signs that could indicate a child is at risk of harm.

Staff maintain a clean, hygienic and safe environment for children. The leadership team follow robust recruitment procedures to ensure the suitability of those employed to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: refine planning so that staff identify more precisely what they want children to learn from planned learning experiences, and how best to sequence that learning support staff to confidently and consistently implement the nursery's use-of-dummy policy.