Tiptoes Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Staff at the nursery place children's well-being and happiness at the forefront of their practice, and they strive for excellence in all aspects of their practice.

Staff have detailed knowledge of each child and their family. They radiate warmth, are attentive to children's needs and provide encouragement, support and praise. Children who are learning to walk take hesitant steps towards their key person, who is ready to give them a warm embrace when they reach them.

This increases children's confidence. Relationships between staff and children are superb. Warm exchanges take place throughout the day, and staff a...re attuned to the children's needs.

Robust procedures are in place to provide a safe environment for all children, including those with medical needs and allergies.Children across all rooms thrive within the calm, nurturing and purposeful environment. A series of golden rules are consistently implemented by staff and used spontaneously by children, who are considerate, kind, helpful and good listeners.

A creative curriculum takes into account past experiences of children and the individual needs of each child. Children across all rooms are enthusiastic learners and make excellent progress. They show excellent focus and attention skills, high levels of self-confidence and a desire to take part and engage.

Children's progress is meticulously tracked, with any delays in their learning identified. Highly effective targeted support plans are put in place due to engagement with relevant professionals. This includes for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

Children celebrate their uniqueness, enjoying celebrations from their own and other cultures, saying 'hello' and learning songs in different languages.Staff support children's communication skills outstandingly well. Through signing, even the youngest children are able to express themselves and make their needs known, which they do with smiles and enthusiasm.

Children are able to use the same signs at home, and parents comment on how much this has supported their child's communication skills.

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

Staff implement a curriculum in both the indoor and outdoor areas that is exciting and focuses on providing rich experiences, such as going on a bus for the first time, visiting a local care home to sing with the residents and learning about reptiles and their habitats through a visiting pet snake. Sequenced activities are meticulously planned, evaluated and extended.

For example, to encourage children to explore different textures, staff use shaving foam in wooden blocks as a stepping stone to more elaborate and messy resources. This staged approach helps children to build confidence in trying something new.A 'can-do' attitude modelled by staff is copied by children, who are independent in many different aspects.

At lunchtime, they serve themselves, pour their own drinks and then tidy away their plates when finished. Children learn to be healthy through a range of programmes, including a toothbrushing scheme, and by following visual handwashing prompts placed in relevant parts of the nursery.Relationships with parents are superb.

Information is shared on a regular basis and in a variety of ways, including in person, over the telephone and via the online app. This gives staff a wealth of information, which they use to excellent effect. For example, to help a child eat a more varied diet at home, staff design a menu booklet for the family to use at home, with each recipe also used at the nursery.

Managers and staff place a high importance on children's language development. Singing songs and sharing stories take place during each day. Young children sit and listen carefully to complex books, eager to join in with familiar phrases.

They excitedly anticipate key parts of familiar stories. They join in with action songs with enthusiasm and clear voices. Staff interactions with children are outstanding.

Conversations are of the highest quality. Children are given time to think and respond to questions, which helps them to problem solve and develop thinking skills. New vocabulary is introduced at each opportunity.

Staff feel extremely well supported by the management team, and this contributes to low staff turnover and a harmonious working environment. Teamwork is evident throughout the day, as staff share relevant information with each other, talking about ideas and making suggestions about upcoming activities. Even the newest members of the staff team are encouraged to play an active role and voice their thoughts, ideas, improvements and concerns.

The management team has embedded a highly effective and reflective culture. The staff team continually assesses different aspects of its practice, making improvements where required. Training and continuous professional development are key aspects of the nursery's success.

A carefully planned programme of training is evaluated and shows the positive impact it has had upon the quality of teaching across the whole nursery.Children's progress is rapid. They have specific targets set to help them reach their next steps, and these are shared with parents to promote consistency and acceleration.

Statutory assessments are completed comprehensively and are used to inform other professionals and parents of current developmental milestones and any areas that require additional input.Children form a close bond with their key person, and most children arrive each day with enthusiasm and excitement. Those children who are still moving into the nursery are supported with kindness and patience, and they are soon settled and engrossed in play.

Children's behaviour across the setting is exemplary. They demonstrate kindness and resolve conflicts themselves. For example, a child sees a dispute over a hula hoop and finds another one, approaches the children and offers it to them so that they can have one each.

Parents say how impressed they are with the nursery staff and management. They comment on the strength of the partnership they have with their key person and the high level of care that is provided to their child. Parents of children with medical conditions say they feel confident that the nursery staff will provide the highest level of care to their child.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an embedded culture of prioritising children's safety that comes from senior management and involves the whole staff team. Staff undertake a wide range of child protection training, and this is covered in regular meetings to ensure their knowledge remains current.

Staff have a superb awareness of how to identify potential signs of abuse and are confident about the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child's welfare or staff's practice. Staff have an excellent knowledge of all aspects of child protection, such as female genital mutilation, the 'Prevent' duty guidance and witchcraft. Safer recruitment procedures are implemented, and regular checks take place to ensure staff's ongoing suitability to work with children.