The Links Day Care Centre Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children eagerly arrive at nursery and confidently talk with the familiar staff.

The extremely inviting and stimulating learning environment supports them to become fully engaged in meaningful play throughout their nursery session. The highly skilled staff get to know the children very well. This supports them to fully extend and support children's play, enabling them to make rapid progress in their learning.

Staff are highly responsive to children's care and learning needs, and are consistently engaged in play and learning with them. They sensitively encourage children to develop their own ideas, explore and ex...periment. For example, when children prepare butternut squash to make soup, they notice the seeds inside and suggest planting them.

Children and staff work together to list and find the resources they will need. They plant the seeds and make labels for the pot before returning to see if their soup is ready to taste. Pre-school children make thoughtful decisions about where to spend their time and competently manage their outdoor clothing as they move between the indoor and outdoor spaces.

The nursery prioritises supporting children's personal, social and emotional development. Staff expertly model positive behaviours and language to children. With the support of books and stories this helps children to begin to use the language of feelings, and contributes to children's exceptional behaviour.

Staff sensitively teach children to learn to play cooperatively, share, take turns and resolve their own problems.

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

Staff closely observe children's play and interactions. Their excellent knowledge of what children know and can do enables them to plan an extensive range of exciting activities.

Staff skilfully adapt their interactions to build on and support individual needs.Learning and progress of individuals and groups is rigorously monitored by key workers and the manager and any gaps are quickly addressed. For example, when a weakness in mathematics was identified, staff received focused training, and resources were enhanced to include items such as measuring tapes and scales.

The very high quantity and quality of interactions between staff and children has a positive impact on language development. Extremely stimulating activities and resources support conversation and the introduction of new vocabulary. The early language development of two-year-olds, children with additional needs, and those who speak English as an additional language is skilfully supported.

Staff repeat words and rephrase children's speech into short sentences. Parents provide key words in children's home language to support their transition into the setting.Activities provided for children consistently encourage them to experiment and think for themselves.

For example, when children make dough, they consider what to add to make it less sticky. Children eagerly wait in anticipation to see if a programmable toy moves as they intended. They delight in the marks it makes on paper and suggest it looks like a map.

Later they compare it to a real map and push cars along the roads.Children are superbly supported to learn to care for themselves and develop their independence. They understand why they cannot prepare their own snack at the moment and the importance of washing their hands well.

Outdoors, children are fully involved in managing risk assessments. They discuss and record how to use equipment safely, such as, 'You must be careful on the steps', and how to jump safely from climbing equipment.Children develop their literacy skills in real and meaningful ways.

Non-fiction texts, such as recipe books, construction books and magazines support all areas of learning. Children often choose to look at books themselves. Staff demonstrate their shared interest to children as they read with enthusiasm and enhance children's thinking with comments and questions.

Children thoroughly enjoy developing their drawing and writing skills using different materials. They draw and write on large paper on the floor, in notebooks, on whiteboards and with chalk.Staff talk about and celebrate the differences and similarities between children and families and model highly respectful interactions.

Children's understanding of other communities is enhanced by tasting foods and learning about festivals as part of their continuous provision. For example, a book about the Holi festival is placed alongside containers of coloured sand to prompt conversation.The managers and experienced staff team work closely together to provide a consistent and coherent approach to learning.

They rigorously evaluate and improve their practice. Current developments are focused on reviewing group times and improving the outdoor area. The manager prioritises the well-being and professional development of staff.

Parents speak extremely highly of the nursery. They value the broad range of experiences their children are given and feel very well communicated with and supported by the 'caring and approachable' staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a very strong understanding of their responsibility to be vigilant to keep children safe from harm. They talk confidently about the possible signs and symptoms of abuse they must look for. They know the processes they must follow if they are concerned about a child or if there is an allegation against a member of staff.

There are thorough and robust recruitment systems in place to check that staff are suitable to work with children. Statutory training is maintained and staff receive regular safeguarding updates in staff meetings and on training days. Updates to parents support them to keep their children safe online.

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