The Worcester Park Day Nursery and Pre-school

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy their time at nursery. They have warm and affectionate attachments with staff and demonstrate they feel emotionally secure.

The staff plan activities which cover all seven areas of learning. The activities are based on children's interests and what they have already learned, supporting them to develop their knowledge further. Staff know children well and provide a stimulating learning environment for children of all ages.

They identify children's individual next steps in learning and provide activities that promote these. New children and babies settle quickly and form strong emotional attachments with t...heir key person. Staff interactions enhance children's knowledge and skills during focus activities.

However, at times, staff do not focus these during child-led play. Children enthusiastically explore the environment and can easily select the toys they want to use from low-level shelves. Children enjoy making marks with chalk in the garden as they develop skills to support their early writing.

Mealtimes are a sociable occasion when staff encourage children to talk about what they have been doing throughout the morning. However, at times, staff miss opportunities to talk about what is a healthy meal.A consistent approach to managing behaviour ensures children feel safe and secure and listened to.

Children behave well and have good attitudes to learning. For example, they listen to instructions when it is time to tidy up. Staff help children to understand about taking turns and to share toys from an early age.

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

The managers and staff are committed to providing the best possible care and education for all children and have worked hard to make improvements since their last inspection. They plan a broad and exciting curriculum that supports children effectively to make good progress from their starting points and develop the skills they need for future learning.Children benefit from a range of stimulating resources that fire their imaginations and help motivate them to explore, investigate and experiment.

For example, children use a variety of construction resources to build enclosures when making a zoo for their animals.Parents appreciate the care and time taken by practitioners to provide feedback about their child's learning. Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children's learning, for instance, through surveys, parent consultation evenings and weekly focus home-learning opportunities.

Children benefit from a good start to their early education. From the youngest age, they are engaged in their play and are motivated to learn and explore. Children's emotional well-being is supported effectively while they settling into the nursery, moving rooms or going to school.

Children leave for school confident, sociable and ready for their future learning.Children have regular opportunities to play outdoors and engage in physical activities. For instance, older children enjoy a race in ride-on cars to see who is the fastest, as younger children develop their confidence climbing to go down the slide independently.

Children begin to develop an understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, younger children enjoy matching shapes during a game with staff. Older children explore the value of money as they enjoy a restaurant role play.

Children's communication and language skills and early reading skills are promoted well. For example, babies and toddlers enjoy listening to stories and repeat words, such as those for different foods from familiar stories. Older children excitedly remind each other of their initial-letter sound as they read an alphabet book.

Children enjoy time together during mealtimes. However, staff do not teach children about healthy eating options, the effect food has on the body and how some foods are not good for your teeth. Therefore, children do not develop an understanding of how a healthy diet helps to promote their good health.

Staff ensure children of all ages have opportunities to develop their early writing skills, making marks in a variety of media to develop their small-muscle skills and to support their pencil control.Staff interactions with children are positive and effective overall. However, staff do not consistently support children to deepen their learning during child-led play activities.

Staff questioning techniques are not challenging children's thinking skills.Parents speak highly of the nursery. They say that staff are welcoming and caring and get to know their children well.

They appreciate the good communication with staff, and regular updates support children's learning at home.Staff support children to acquire the skills they need for their future learning, including making a successful start to school life. For example, children develop confidence and resilience, learn to listen well to others and follow instructions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The managers and the staff team understand how to identify the signs and symptoms that could indicate a child is at risk. They clearly understand how to report any concerns about children's welfare or the behaviour of another adult.

They have a broad understanding of wider safeguarding issues and how to identify and report any concerns. Robust recruitment procedures ensure that all staff are suitable. Thorough induction and ongoing support from the managers ensure staff remain alert to their responsibility to keep children safe.

Staff are vigilant in their supervision of children. Continual risk assessment of the play areas, inside and outside, promotes children's safety.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to extend children's learning during their play by using more effective questioning techniques help children to understand how a healthy diet can help promote their good health.