Trench Tots Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff provide children with a wide range of open-ended resources and materials that spark children's interests, imagination and help them all to make good progress. Older children construct with a range of recyclable materials. They use flour and water to stick shells onto a box and work with their friends to build a large car using tyres and crates.

Staff place a strong focus on helping two-year-old children to develop their hand muscles. Children use their hands to squeeze lemons and tea bags as they mix ingredients in the water tray.Staff ensure that children are happy, secure and ready to learn.

Babies form close b...onds with staff and quickly become immersed in their play and exploration. Two-year-old children are confident throughout the daily routines, including choosing to wash their hands and helping to set the tables for lunch. They know what they need and carry chairs, so they can sit down to play in the sand.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and children are respectful.Leaders adapted the arrangements for involving parents in children's learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and are now welcoming parents back into the nursery for stay-and-play sessions. Parents now benefit from opportunities to play with their children in the nursery and spend more time with their child's key person.

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

Leaders reflect well on the service they provide and are committed to making ongoing improvements. They have plans to enhance the outdoor areas to extend the learning opportunities for children even further.Leaders monitor the quality of staff practice well and provide staff with professional development opportunities that help to extend their teaching skills.

Recent training has helped staff to enhance their support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and to help children to manage their feelings and behaviour.The provision for children with SEND meets their needs effectively. The special educational needs coordinator monitors children's progress and is quick to make referrals, so that children receive further support from outside agencies.

Leaders have a clear understanding of the key development milestones that their children need to progress towards in the different rooms. However, their curriculum is not precisely focused on building on what older children already know, understand and can do, to extend their learning even further.Staff have created a stimulating learning environment, which ensures that children are motivated to play and explore.

However, staff do not link the activities they have planned as well as possible to children's learning targets.This means that their teaching does not precisely reflect children's learning needs.Staff support children's communication and language development well.

Leaders monitor children's progress carefully and implement targeted interventions, so that all children are supported well. Staff use books and songs as a key teaching tool to help children to develop their language skills. Children recall features of stories in their play.

Children progress well with their mathematical knowledge and staff provide them with plenty of opportunities to apply their understanding during play. Older children develop an understanding of number and quantity. Younger children compare volumes of containers during water play.

Staff working with babies and toddlers recognise when to stand back to support babies to explore in their own way, make connections and develop their thinking skills. For example, as babies explore a range of materials using their senses.Leaders and staff support children's health well and follow thorough procedures for minimising the spread of germs.

Children enjoy nutritious snacks, meals and healthy drinks. They understand the rules and expectations particularly well at mealtimes and are well mannered. Children learn about the importance of good oral care routines.

Parent partnerships work well. Staff value the contribution that parents make to their child's learning and encourage two-way conversations about children's progress. Parents are very pleased with the support that staff provide to them and with the care of their children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders reflect well on their policies and procedures to keep children safe. They ensure that their practice is in line with current guidance and the local authority.

All staff are well trained in safeguarding children and have a strong understanding of how to keep children safe. This includes careful risk assessment relating to sleeping and when children have an accident. Staff know a wide range of signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and how to report these.

This includes managing allegations about a colleague. Leaders implement safe recruitment processes to verify the suitability of staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: refine the curriculum, so this precisely identifies what children need to know, understand and do as they progress through the nursery help staff to use children's individual assessment information to inform planning, so that learning experiences precisely build on what children already know.