The Nest Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy and confident in the warm and welcoming setting. They settle quickly and engage in the well-resourced and stimulating environment.

Children enthusiastically explore activities and toys on offer. They are keen to learn and concentrate well in activities. Children enjoy working together to make play dough, adding the ingredients to the bowl and mixing them.

They confidently talk to each other about what they are adding and the texture of the play dough.Children behave well. Staff have high expectations for all children's positive behaviour and learning.

Staff encourage children to think about ...the feelings of others. Babies are provided with consistent praise during their play. Older children independently praise each other, as they call their friends 'clever'.

Staff take the time to get to know children's individual personalities, interest and routines well. As a result, children form strong bonds with staff. This has been particularly successful in supporting new children to settle.

Babies seek staff out for cuddles. Older children are keen for staff to join in with their play. Children excitedly offer staff pretend ice creams they have made.

Children are aware of the setting's routines. They follow these with ease, singing a tidy up song along with staff, and put toys away.

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

The passionate and ambitious management team lead the staff very well and create a positive atmosphere for their well-being and progression.

Staff receive regular supervision meetings to help them develop their practice and skills. The management team actively encourage staff to undertake training to enhance the setting. This helps to improve and extend staff knowledge and teaching skills.

Staff promote children's independence exceptionally well. They consistently provide children with opportunities to try to do things for themselves. For example, children pour their own drinks and peel their oranges.

As a result, children develop confidence in their own ability. Children learn about the importance of healthy lifestyles and good hygiene routines are established. Staff provide freshly cooked, meat free meals tailored to children's dietary needs.

Children enjoy healthy snacks and talk about the fruit they are eating.Overall, staff support children to develop good communication skills. For example, staff repeat sounds and words back to babies to extend their vocabulary.

Older children talk about the colours they are using when painting and drawing. However, sometimes, children are asked too many questions, limiting their opportunity to build on and use their own ideas in their play.Partnership with parents is strong.

Staff successfully use a software programme to share observations, photos and information about the children's day. Parents highlight how effective this is, allowing them the opportunity to comment and see what the children have done. This results in a good two-way partnership to ensure children's continuous care and learning.

The management and staff are committed to providing the best possible care and education for all children. They plan a broad and exciting curriculum. This effectively supports children to make good progress from their starting point, and develop the skills they need for future learning.

Children have regular opportunities to play outdoors and engage in physical activities. Babies enjoy climbing and use the slide indoors. Older children take part in regular yoga and interactive dance sessions.

Children and babies enjoy a wide range of messy play activities and explore different textures and colours.Staff have good knowledge of children's interests. They use these effectively to plan and create inviting activities for children.

Older children use numbers spontaneously as they talk about the pieces of fruit they have. However, staff do not consistently use opportunities for children to count and use mathematical language in their play.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the appropriate support.

Any gaps in children's development are quickly identified and addressed by staff. Additional funding is put to good use to ensure that it benefits children in the most effective way.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff demonstrate a good understanding of their responsibility to safeguard children. They have a clear knowledge of potential signs and symptoms of abuse. Staff know what to do if they are worried about the welfare of a child and how to report their concerns.

This includes the whistle-blowing procedure for reporting other members of staff if they had concerns. Recruitment procedures are robust. This helps to ensure the suitability of all persons working with children.

Staff complete daily checks and risk assessments. They are vigilant about the security of the setting and are deployed effectively to help keep children safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop staff teaching skills, to allow children time to think and formulate their own ideas strengthen opportunities for all children to practise and use mathematical language and numbers.