The Old Station Nursery - Wellesbourne

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents and children continue to be met at the front entrance by their child's key person on arrival and at collection times. Staff are friendly and welcoming as they greet the children. Children happily enter the nursery and settle quickly to play.

They build strong relationships with staff, who are warm and caring. This helps children to feel safe and secure in the nursery.Children readily explore the play environments, which are arranged to stimulate their interests and engage them in play and learning.

Children have great fun as they play together. For example, they build towers with r...ealistic foam bricks and giggle as they knock them down again. Children engage for long periods with their chosen activities.

For example, they use screwing rods, bolts, nuts and expandable tubes to build structures. They focus as they work out how to add a funnel to the top.Children behave well and learn to use their manners.

They respond well to guidance and reminders from staff, who consistently model considerate behaviours. Children develop their independence. For example, they put on their coats and boots, ready to play in the gardens.

Children are developing the skills they need for their future learning.

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

Leaders have a strong understanding of their curriculum for what they intend children to learn in the nursery. Staff use information they obtain from parents in the beginning to plan for what children need to learn next.

They use the information from regular assessments to continue to support children to build their skills and understanding through a broad variety of experiences and activities that are planned for them. As a result, all children, including those for whom the nursery is in receipt of additional funding, make consistently good progress from their starting points.The support children receive to develop their communication and language skills is very strong.

This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They receive tailored support from staff to increase their skills and make good progress. Babies develop speech quickly in this language-rich environment.

Staff speak clearly and regularly to introduce new words during play. This helps to increase children's vocabulary and understanding. Older children are becoming confident speakers.

They are keen to talk with visitors about their favourite toys or the jumper they are wearing. The oldest children hold elaborate discussions about dogs during snack time.Mealtimes are social occasions for most children.

Babies chatter and babble with staff who sit beside them. Older children talk with each other and staff while they eat. Children in the toddler room talk with staff.

However, the lunchtime arrangements within this room mean that some children sit and wait for long periods before being served their food. Consequently, some children become restless and bored.Children develop their self-help skills well.

Babies feed themselves and use forks and spoons with some assistance. Older children wash their hands independently before lunch and show developing skills in cutting their own food, using knives and forks and removing the peel from oranges.All children readily explore the outdoor environment.

For example, the youngest children chase bubbles blown by staff, stamping their feet and reaching to catch them. Older children use magnifying glasses as they explore nature in the forest space. They look closely at bugs they find living underneath logs.

Children use reference books to identify and talk about what they have found. They are keen to share pictures of the birds they have seen with visitors. Staff extend children's learning further, for example by encouraging them to create their own painting of a robin.

Toddlers thoroughly enjoy a French singing and speaking activity with staff. They learn simple phrases through songs. They laugh and have fun as they pull funny faces to say the names of colours in French.

Parents speak highly of the staff and say that they are friendly and approachable. They are happy with the information they receive about their children's care and progress in learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff understand their responsibilities to ensure that children are protected effectively from harm. Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the procedures to follow if they are concerned that a child may at risk of harm or abuse. Staff know the procedures to follow where an allegation is made against a colleague or other adult working with children and how to escalate these concerns if needed.

Areas of the setting are routinely checked to ensure the ongoing safety of children. Managers follow safer recruitment procedures and carry out the required checks to ensure the suitability of new and existing staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove the organisation of the lunchtime routine, particularly in relation to the toddler room, to reduce children's waiting time and fully engage them in their learning.