Tiptoes Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children feel safe, secure and are encouraged at this nurturing setting.

They are well prepared through a curriculum that focuses on developing communication and language as well as their independence. Managers' priority to professionally develop the workforce means that children are supported to make progress.Children are happy and assured to make choices in their play.

Key persons plan multisensory activities for children and support their engagement in them through their reassuring tone and facial expression. For example, in the baby room, babies are supported to engage in scented water play by a practitioner who fi...rst models play and thoughtfully reassures babies. As a consequence of this support, children develop confidence, resilience and independence as they move through the nursery.

Children are supported to manage their feelings and behaviour and the setting provides support for parents to continue this learning at home. Resource bags are shared between the home and setting. These focus on supporting children with challenges, such as diet, through engagement in play and activities.

This impacts positively on children's emotional security and strength of character.

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

Planned activities are provided for all children. These are informed by children's interests, the development skills identified in early years checkpoints and by themes based on cultural and community events.

However, there are slight inconsistencies with planning. For example, some staff occasionally focus planned activities more on the theme, rather than on what children need to learn next. At other times, when staff do have a clear focus on what children need to learn next, they do not always effectively implement this.

Children are actively engaged in play and demonstrate interest in their environment and the activities on offer. During play in the outdoor area, toddlers are supported to extend their use of vocabulary when describing the sand and shaving foam. As a result, children develop language comprehension and can hold two-way conversations that take account of what each other says by the time they reach pre-school.

However, there are inconsistencies in how staff support children's speaking skills. For example, children in the baby and toddler rooms are seated at the table for story time and staff stand up when reading to them. Whereas children in the pre-school room sit on the carpet with a staff member for story time, which enables their more active and effective participation.

On other occasions, some staff do not consistently respond to what children are saying to build on their growing speaking skills.The key-person system is utilised effectively to support children's transitions, maintain partnerships with parents and offer support with learning at home. Parents speak highly of the nursery and value the practitioners that work with their children.

They are informed about children's progress and have the opportunity to contribute to their learning. They particularly value their concerns being heard and the setting's support to access and contribute to specialist provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.Children's behaviour for learning is consistently good.

Practitioners organise the environment in a way that gives children the opportunity to make choices and be independent. From the baby room, children are given opportunities to select resources, develop preferences and communicate dislikes. The curriculum to develop independence is built upon as the children progress through the setting.

Children manage their own personal hygiene and serve their own lunches within the toddler room and pre-school room. This impacts positively on children's well-being and children are confident and independent by the time they leave the setting.Leadership and management of the setting are strong.

The procedures in place for staff supervision and support focus on both improving practitioners' knowledge and on their well-being. As a result, practitioners and the setting manager feel supported in the workplace. The leadership team is aware of the pressures on its staff and has worked with the local authority to reduce the paperwork burden.

Supervision meetings effectively highlight learning needs and, in response, the setting provides a comprehensive programme of training. Leaders and managers recognise the positive impact that the professional development of its practitioners has on opportunities for children, and it remains a priority going forward.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and managers develop a culture of safeguarding in the setting through its policies and procedures. Early training of new staff is prioritised, as well as keeping up to date with wider safeguarding agendas within the local authority such as 'Run, Hide, Tell'. The nursery is securely maintained, with families accessing the setting through a main entrance door that is keypad locked.

Practitioners keep records of accidents and existing injuries that are monitored and audited to keep children safe from harm. Practitioners are aware of the indicators of abuse and follow the referral process displayed within each of the nursery rooms if they have any concerns about a child's well-being.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nensure that practitioners more consistently take opportunities to promote children's speaking skills nensure planned activities remain focused on what children need to learn next, consistently building on what children already know and can do.