The Lindfield Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are keen to enter the nursery.

They are warmly welcomed by staff who help them settle and engage in activities. Children choose where they want to play and enjoy exploring the indoor and outdoor environments as they wish. This encourages their independence.

Staff play alongside children in the role-play area and make cakes. Children wear chef's hats and relish using whisks and bowls to make cupcakes. They engage in imaginative play, which supports their language and communication skills.

Children enjoy listening to stories. Staff enthusiastically read books using expression and animation. Children rem...ain focused and engaged.

They join in and answer questions about the text. This helps children to understand the vocabulary and storyline. Children benefit from high expectations, and the staff team works effectively with others to support all children.

For example, children who speak English as an additional language receive effective support. Staff use strategies, such as picture cards and signs, to help them communicate and understand language. This ensures that all children are included and have the best learning opportunities.

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

Staff use all the information they gather from parents and their own observations to build a comprehensive picture of each child. This helps them to meet each child's individual needs. For example, staff provide toys that they know children will prefer, such as toys that spin and move, to engage their interest and help them settle at the start of the session.

Staff provide an inclusive environment. They use funding effectively to provide resources to support children's individual needs. For example, staff have used funding to create a sensory corner.

This enables children to have a safe area to play calmly and relax.Children enjoy sociable mealtimes, and staff provide opportunities for them to develop their independence and learn about healthy eating. For instance, staff supervise children during mealtimes to keep them safe.

They discuss with them the benefits of fruit and vegetables, which helps to promote healthy eating. Children enjoy opportunities to pour their own drinks, and they do this competently.Staff provide good opportunities to develop children's physical skills.

For example, children experiment with different movements. They climb on a large caterpillar and crawl through the tunnel to develop gross motor skills. Staff play ball games with the children and give them instructions to follow.

They encourage children to take turns and share the equipment. Consequently, children are kind to each other and are developing good social skills.Staff provide a variety of ways to promote children's early writing skills.

For instance, children use different resources to make marks. They use brushes to paint with water on walls outside and make marks on vertical workspaces. This provides accessible opportunities for all children to develop their early writing skills.

Parents speak highly of the staff and the good bonds they have developed with the children. The manager communicates well with parents. For example, she provides daily feedback and weekly updates online.

Parents also receive information about their child's progress. Staff meet with parents each term to provide a progress report and share the next steps they are working on. Parents can add their observations and comments to this.

Staff provide information, such as school readiness guidance. This helps parents to prepare their children for the transition to school.The management team has recently attended training to update its knowledge and skills.

It is developing new strategies to support children's learning. However, this has not been fully cascaded to staff through training, and strategies are not yet fully embedded.Staff support children's behaviour well.

For example, they use positive praise and encouragement, which boosts children's self-esteem and encourages perseverance. Children respond well and have a 'can-do' attitude.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date and complete safeguarding training. This helps them to recognise the signs that a child could be at risk from harm or abuse. For example, they have a secure understanding of radicalisation and female genital mutilation.

Staff know how to record and report any potential concerns about children when necessary. Staff complete risk assessments, which helps to keep children safe. For example, they have secure procedures in place to cater for children with allergies and intolerances.

The manager ensures that thorough recruitment and vetting processes are in place. This includes obtaining Disclosure and Barring Service checks and checking staff's ongoing suitability 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: continue to develop the knowledge and skills of all staff by cascading strategies to strengthen teaching further.

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