The Cottage Private Day Nursery (Uttoxeter Road)

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, settled and safe in this welcoming and stimulating nursery. They have a strong sense of belonging and are confident individuals. Staff have high expectations of children and provide them with interesting opportunities to develop their curiosity and enhance their learning.

The atmosphere is full of excitement as children move around the nursery and outside, self-selecting their play. This is evident as older children stir water and soil in the mud kitchen to make a mixture. Children pick herbs from the garden and add these to their mixtures and laugh as the mixture runs through their fingers.

They th...oroughly enjoy the smells and textures of their creations. Babies enjoy singing and use actions as they sing popular songs. They giggle with delight and clap their hands while exploring the different sounds that musical instruments make.

Children behave well and show respect towards each other. They show positive attitudes towards their learning. Children thoroughly enjoy spending time playing outdoors.

Toddlers show good physical dexterity as they climb and balance on large tyres and crates. Screams of delight can be heard as some children pretend to be monsters and chase their friends. These children run and snuggle close to staff for reassurance, showing good relationships.

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

The management team and staff work closely together to ensure they provide high levels of care for children. Staff report feeling supported with their workload by each other and the management. They attend training opportunities.

For example, they have recently attended training in supporting children's listening skills through the use of music. Staff are supported through regular meetings and supervisions. However, these meetings are not sharply focused on raising the quality of teaching to the highest level.

Managers have established a curriculum that builds on children's interests and curiosity and what they already know and can do. Staff have a secure understanding of child development. They plan a wide range of activities which consider children's interests and keep children engaged in their play.

However, some staff do not always provide children with extra challenge in their learning in order for them to make exceptional progress.Effective partnerships have been established with parents and others. Parents are very involved in the settling-in process when starting nursery.

This helps children to feel emotionally settled. Staff share ideas with parents to extend learning at home. For example, parents are encouraged to take home 'chatter bags', which contain books and activities, to help encourage the children to talk at home.

Parents and families are extremely complimentary about the staff team. They actively recommend the nursery to others.The manager and staff gather information from parents when children first start at the nursery.

They use information effectively. For example, the information revealed that most of the children live in the suburbs and have little experience of rural areas. To expand experiences for children, staff plan opportunities for children to go on regular walks to a woodland area.

Children take part in activities such as making dens, collecting leaves and twigs and climbing trees. Additionally, children are taken on trips to farms to see how farm animals are cared for. These activities aid children's learning as they explore nature and learn about different environments.

Staff provide opportunities to help develop children's small-muscle skills and to strengthen their hands for early writing. This is evident as they take part in 'dough disco'. Children squeeze, splat, roll, poke and pinch the dough to music.

They thoroughly enjoy this and chat to staff as they do these movements. They become engrossed in their play and are excited as they sing and handle the dough.Babies receive warm and affectionate care and their needs are met by attentive staff.

The key-person system is effective and ensures children build secure and confident bonds with staff and their peers. Staff promote children's behaviour effectively. They are good role models and teach children well about taking turns and sharing.

For example, children wait patiently for their turn to make a sandcastle and share the spades willingly.Children learn the importance of healthy lifestyles and good oral hygiene. They brush their teeth and know the importance of handwashing before snacks and meals.

Staff provide freshly cooked and healthy meals that are tailored to children's dietary requirements and preferences.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Managers and staff understand their responsibilities to protect children from harm and keep them safe.

They have a secure knowledge of the signs and symptoms of child abuse and a broad understanding of wider safeguarding issues. They know what to do and who to contact if they have a concern about a child's welfare. Managers have robust recruitment and induction procedures.

They complete rigorous checks to ensure that only those suitable to work with children do so. Staff check their rooms to ensure all hazards are removed to enable children to play in 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: nincrease the level of extra challenge in children's learning to fully support their progress to the highest level strengthen the already good systems for the supervision of staff, so that staff receive coaching which has a consistent focus on improving their performance, in order to raise the quality of teaching to the highest level.