Tiny Feet Private Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The nursery has improved since the last inspection. Managers know and apply the minimum qualification requirements of the early years foundation stage.

The deployment of staff across the day is managed well. A new management team has been appointed recently. It is ambitious for the achievements of staff and children.

Its changes to the curriculum are having a positive impact on children's experiences and progress. However, the changes are at an early stage. The capacity of the provider to sustain the improvement, without enhanced support from the local authority, is not established.

Staff's strong understanding o...f how children learn promotes a purposeful atmosphere throughout the nursery. Children develop positive attitudes to learning because they feel happy and secure. Staff communicate clear expectations for children's conduct at different times of the day.

During extended periods of free play, older children develop storylines for boisterous role play. This helps children to develop friendships and promotes rich imagination. At other times, children know that they must be ready to listen and participate in adult-led activities.

Children learn to follow rules and routines that promote their self-control and independence.

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

Managers model their own learning and development. They engage well with the training and advice offered by the local authority.

The impact is demonstrated well by the improvements to staff deployment. At mealtimes, individual staff know where they should be and what they should be doing. This helps children to move confidently from activities to handwashing and to the table, supported by the well-organised team.

Changes to curriculum planning are beginning to become established. Staff identify learning intentions for activities. However, sometimes, the activities are not planned well enough to promote children's best progress.

For example, staff intend children to learn new words but do not say which words they are going to teach. This makes it more difficult to assess whether children have achieved what was intended and to plan what they need to learn next.The new managers communicate a clear vision for the nursery.

Recent changes mean that staff now attend regular supervision meetings. This helps to promote their well-being. However, plans for their professional development do not show precisely enough what individual staff need to do next to improve their skills and knowledge.

This slows staff's progress towards consistently good teaching.Parents and carers feel well informed about children's progress and the day's activities. They particularly like the online app, where they see information such as how long children have slept for.

However, the procedure for administering medication to children has weaknesses. Staff do not routinely obtain written permission from parents before administering non-prescription medicine. This does not fully promote children's welfare.

Planned and ongoing checks of the environment are effective. Staff identify and minimise hazards to children's safety. Improvements to routines mean that children learn to wipe their noses and wash their hands.

Parents say that children tell them why this is important.The use of props to capture children's attention and extend their learning is becoming particularly well established at rhyme times. Younger children each hold an animal picture while they sing 'Old MacDonald had a Farm'.

Older children wonder which picture will emerge from the rhyme bag. Staff's playful approach fosters a sense of anticipation that makes learning fun.Consistent routines are helping to promote children's self-control and independence.

Children wait to be invited to get ready for tea. They search for their picture on the table before sitting down. The food is already there and this helps to make the process meaningful and motivating.

Children's growing confidence in following the routine helps to promote a purposeful environment.The curriculum promotes children's readiness to write. Children of all ages squeeze and roll play dough.

This strengthens their small muscles. Children's drawing and 'pretend' writing is valued. This helps them to learn that marks have meaning.

Pre-school children practise letter formation in dry sand. This helps to promote a fluent handwriting style when the time comes.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage and Childcare Register the provider must: Due date obtain written permission before administering medicines to children.08/11/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help staff to define learning intentions for activities more clearly, so that the impact on what children know as a result of participating is clear and measurable make plans for staff's professional development clearer, so that staff know precisely what they are aiming to improve and why.

Also at this postcode