Tops Day Nurseries - Musgrove

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff support children's emotional well-being sensitively. Younger children thrive in the loving relationship they form with their key person.

Children are encouraged to manage their feelings well. For example, older children know that they can collect a carrot from the 'bite box' when they recognise they are becoming angry or frustrated. Staff use resources such as emotion stones and books effectively to help children identify and express how they feel with confidence.

Children benefit from a well-planned curriculum. There are good opportunities for children to make choices and develop high levels of independence. Bab...ies choose favourite books to share with staff.

The staff engage babies well, pointing to objects, modelling language and developing their understanding. There are good opportunities for younger children to explore a variety of different-sized balls, which they keenly roll down the slide and retrieve to repeat the activity in turn.Children, including those learning English as an additional language, gain good communication and language skills.

Young children listen attentively and sing along to familiar songs. They are quick to identify that staff have changed the words to those that they know and request that they sing the original words to 'Wind the bobbin up'. Staff working with the youngest children provide good narrative as babies post shapes and take turns.

Babies show curiosity when staff crinkle the cellophane and are keen to have a go for themselves, listening to its sound.

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

Staff plan an ambitious curriculum, in a well-organised environment, which considers children's interests and their different styles of learning. Staff value children's knowledge and encourage them to use their new-found skills to teach their friends, such as the letters in their name.

On occasion, staff do not ensure that all children understand the difference between upper- and lower-case letters to help them build and write their name.Children progress well. Staff gather useful information from parents when children start and conduct an assessment of children's starting points.

They regularly make observations and monitor any gaps in children's learning efficiently. There is effective support for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Most staff have a good understanding of how to support children with individual targets.

However, on occasion, staff do not consistently use the strategies they have in place, such as visual aids, to help children understand the routines of the day.There are good opportunities for children to be outside and active. For example, pre-school children play football together.

They pretend to tackle and roll on the ground, showing good coordination and understanding of risk. They show pride in their achievements when they score a goal, saying 'I got it!'.Although parents do not enter the setting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a good exchange of information.

Parents are fully involved when children move on to another room. They are invited in to observe the environment and to meet the new key person. Staff provide good opportunities to encourage learning at home, for example using home learning bags.

Older children develop good independence skills. They serve their lunch, pour drinks and get themselves ready for outdoor play. Children learn to use knives safely as they cut the vegetables for their soup.

They keenly solve problems, such as the best way to remove the seeds from their butternut squash.There are effective care practices throughout the nursery. Staff know the children well and are sensitive to their individual needs.

They are highly respectful, asking permission before they hug a young child or remove their clothing for a nappy change. Children develop high levels of self-esteem. They are regularly praised and their attempts valued with a 'good try'.

Staff manage behaviour well, overall, although there is some inconsistency. Staff redirect children's play effectively. For example, when younger children throw objects, staff offer a more appropriate object, such as a ball, to throw.

However, explanations to help younger children understand what should be thrown are not always consistently applied.Staff are well supported by a knowledgeable manager who considers their welfare and workloads well. She is an effective role model and provides individualised support in the rooms, especially to help the less qualified staff reach their full potential.

The new staff team works well together to raise the standards of children's care and development. Staff reflect well on their practice and have good understanding of areas to improve to enhance experiences for children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Children benefit from safe and secure premises. Staff use their risk assessments effectively to ensure children remain safe. For example, they have decided not to use the large climbing frame as they have assessed it as not suitable for younger children.

Staff deploy themselves well to ensure children are supervised at all times and ratios are maintained. There are effective procedures to ensure staff are suitable for their role and receive a thorough induction. Staff have good knowledge of the signs that a child may be at risk of harm.

They have a good understanding of who to report concerns to, including concerns about another member of staff. The manager/designated safeguarding lead has a good understanding of her responsibilities to escalate concerns and works well in partnership with other agencies to protect children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop group activities further to ensure older children are included at their level of understanding develop consistency in the quality of teaching across the nursery, in particular to support children's understanding of routines and behavioural expectations.