Tops Day Nurseries - Winchester

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children confidently move between the interesting activities and different environments. They enjoy interacting and speaking to the different adults present. Staff use lively voices which encourages babies to explore.

Toddlers are captivated by the stories read to them by staff. Staff engage children's interests effectively as they read to them with gusto and passion. Older children easily share books and talk about the characters together.

Pre-school children show confidence in exploring their outside environments. They successfully navigate thick tree roots and steep banks. They communicate with each other for a vari...ety of purposes.

For instance, children form a small group to discuss how they are going to make a pineapple cake and what ingredients they will use. They eagerly return to an adult to explain what they have decided to do.Children's behaviour is good.

Children work cooperatively and share resources without disagreement. For instance, children sit together making potions and tonics using petals and leaves mixed with water. Children confidently express their opinions.

At mealtimes, pre-schoolers speak enthusiastically about their food and say what they like to eat.Staff value and respect children, speaking to them with consideration and kindness. Staff encourage children to talk about their experiences, such as outings they have been on.

This helps staff understand children's interests to build on them further.

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

Staff demonstrate care and attention with each child. They talk to children about daily routines and gently encourage their cooperation.

For example, they speak to babies and toddlers about needing to have their nappies changed and noses wiped, and gain their agreement.Parents speak highly about the nursery. They comment positively about the support their children receive and the impact on their child's development.

For instance, parents highlighted that their children are learning to recognise emotions and that their social skills have improved. Staff and parents share information successfully to meet children's individual needs effectively. For example, a new child is helped to settle with a baby sling, similar to one used at home.

Staff have good working relationships with outside professionals. Leaders and key persons gain specialist advice and share this with the staff team. This enables all staff to support children's needs effectively and promotes their rapid progress.

Staff support children learning English as an additional language particularly well. This includes encouraging parents to provide important words used in their home language to help support communication with their children while at the nursery. The staff team use their knowledge of additional languages effectively to promote communication both with children and parents.

Leaders design a purposeful curriculum that enables children to explore their learning through their own interests. Staff mainly provide good quality interactions with children. For example, they refer to words displayed at activities to help develop children's vocabulary.

Staff encourage toddlers to share their experiences of wet weather when reading a book in which it is raining. This helps children to use their developing vocabulary to recall their experiences. At times, staff are eager for children to respond to questions, but do not provide children with enough time to consider their thoughts.

On occasion, this adult direction takes children away from their own exploration and learning.Staff encourage children to explore the natural world. For instance, when a child notices a spider web, staff draw children together to examine the web, then encourage children to hunt for more on their own.

Many outdoor activities are child-led and create opportunities for children to use their social skills to collaborate with others.Leaders prioritise the teaching of healthy living and independence skills. Children benefit from healthy and nutritious meals and snacks.

At snack time, toddlers learn how to prepare their own food. However, some find this too challenging as the resources and support they receive at this time are not well matched to their development. Children are taught from an early age the importance of keeping their teeth clean.

They use mirrors as staff support them to brush their teeth.Staff feel well supported by their approachable manager who positively relays her ideas for improvements. Her excellent communication with staff encourages flexibility if activities need to be adapted throughout the day.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff are knowledgeable about safeguarding practices. They talk confidently about how they would respond to signs of abuse.

Staff know what to do if they have concerns about the actions of other staff. Staff understand their responsibilities to keep children safe and promote their well-being. For example, they know children's individual dietary requirements, including allergies, and have clear information to refer to.

This helps them manage meal and snack times safely. Staff risk assess outings in the local area. They teach children to stay safe, such as through discussions about road safety.

Staff build up children's confidence and understanding of staying safe while outside of the nursery. For example, by taking children on short walks close to the nursery before going on longer outings further afield.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build further on staff's understanding of children's level of development to provide more targeted support during activities to meet their individual learning needs even more effectively develop staff's practice when asking children questions, to provide more time for children to think and respond to help them develop their own thought processes and further extend their use of language.