Tops Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happy and keen to attend, and they form warm and trusting relationships with staff.

Babies and toddlers benefit from safe and nurturing environments in which they explore and investigate freely. Staff provide reassurance, such as one-to-one cuddles after babies and toddlers wake from a sleep, and books to read together to help them to settle in when they arrive. Children behave very well.

They are polite, listen when asked and learn to take turns fairly. Staff are good role models who provide calm and consistent guidance according to children's development level, and they help children to learn safe beh...aviour.Children benefit from a broad curriculum to support their interests and learning goals.

There is a strong emphasis on helping children to develop emotional security, resilience, literacy and language. Staff respect children's preferred style of learning and adapt activities accordingly. For example, they provide books and writing activities in the garden to encourage the literacy of more active children outside.

Children confidently explore and create with many materials. Babies shriek with delight when splashing in water and finding objects in shredded paper. Toddlers make models with dough, paint and play for long periods while creating in the sand tray.

Pre-school children create 'magic potions' with coloured water and herbs, and bake pretend cakes in the mud kitchen.

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

Since the last inspection, the provider has made many improvements to the nursery. Staff have received training and coaching to develop their knowledge and skills.

This has helped them to safeguard children's welfare and support their learning effectively.Staff know children well. They monitor their progress accurately from the start and are clear what they intend children to learn next.

Staff are quick to identify when a child is at risk of falling behind. They provide close support and targeted activities to fully include children with any additional needs, helping them, and all children, to achieve their potential.Staff join in the activities with enthusiasm and help children to build further on their learning.

Younger children learn about numbers, shapes and size. Older children learn to recognise letters and their sounds. However, on occasions, some staff do not provide as many mathematical challenges for older children to count further, compare quantities and to solve more practical problems.

Staff encourage children to listen, communicate and to learn new words. They verbalise babies' babbles, name the things they play with and read picture books. As children start speaking, they introduce more complex words, such as types of vehicles and the names of facial features.

Staff initiate discussions and ask children questions to encourage them to communicate. However, on occasion, they do not give children time to respond to support their thinking and problem-solving further.Children develop healthy lifestyles.

They enjoy lots of outdoor play and physical activities. Children of all ages join in action songs with enthusiasm, and babies practise walking in safe spaces. Older children learn to take controlled risks to develop their physical skills and confidence.

For example, staff encourage them to use the large apparatus in the garden and to balance on stilts. Staff support children closely, and when they succeed, children laugh and repeat the activity with great confidence.Staff help children to develop the skills they need for their future learning and starting school.

They have high expectations for children of all ages to achieve good independence and self-confidence. Children learn to use the hand-washing and nose-cleaning stations themselves. Older children serve themselves at meals and learn to change their clothes and manage zips with great pride.

Staff well-being is valued and nurtured. The provider offers staff opportunities to celebrate their achievements and contributions. These include staff nominations on the 'Each Person Scheme' and special award nights to recognise both individual and nursery achievements.

Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff involve parents in their children's development from the start and keep them updated of their children's day and progress. Parents share positive views of the provision.

For example, their children enjoy the quiet spaces created in the nursery when needed, and their children have made good progress.Staff keep children safe and secure, and supervise them closely. They have a good understanding of their safeguarding roles, responsibilities and the procedures to follow in the event of a concern about a child or adult.

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 further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide more mathematical challenges for older children to further enhance their knowledge and skills provide more time and opportunity for children to answer questions and solve problems to strengthen their thinking and language skills even further.