UCL Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The manager and staff create a welcoming atmosphere in the nursery. Children separate easily from their parents.

Children who are new to the setting build positive relationships with staff, who manage their individual needs well. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Children are keen learners and happily get involved in the broad range of activities provided.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They plan activities according to children's interests and needs. For instance, children learn what food the Vikings ate and how they built their boats.

Overall, children behave well. They learn to fo...llow the routines and to play safe. They benefit from easy access to a wide range of high-quality resources.

This helps to support their independence skills and ensures that they are curious and continuously motivated to learn. Children learn about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. They make choices to play indoors or outdoors.

Staff use the outdoor area exceptionally well to support children's physical development. Children complete a challenging obstacle course and learn about taking risks, while using the climbing wall. This helps them to build their strong core muscles.

Additionally, children participate in meditation and yoga sessions, which support further their bodily awareness. Children strengthen their small muscles through exciting messy play and mark-making opportunities. This prepares them well for the next stage of their learning, which is early writing.

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

Staff plan and deliver the ambitious curriculum effectively to encourage children's development. They support children's language and communication skills well. For example, they introduce new words linked to children's interests, including names of sea creatures, such as 'pufferfish'.

Furthermore, children who speak English as additional language have plenty of opportunities to share and hear their home language. For instance, a child teaches others how to say 'le poulpe', which means octopus in French.Children show love for books as they listen attentively to familiar stories.

They confidently engage in conversation about what they see and hear. For instance, after listening to the 'Smiley Shark and Great Big Hiccups', children find seas and oceans on the globe. In addition, they learn where koala bears and penguins live, while exploring pictures of animals on the wall map.

Leaders are aware of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on children's development and well-being. They have attended training to support children's mental health and there is a focus on children's happiness. Children, generally, behave well and show respect towards each other.

However, on occasion, staff do not address signs of unwanted behaviour swiftly enough. This shows inconsistencies in how well staff implement the setting's strategies for managing children's behaviour.Children learn to manage their self-care needs independently.

For instance, they put their coats on for outdoor play. Children help with small tasks, such as clearing up after meals. This helps them to gain a great sense of responsibility and develop their independence in readiness for school.

Children are extremely eager to engage in an activity that promotes their mathematical skills. They quickly recognise numbers of quantities in the recipe, as they bake regularly. They learn to use kitchen scales and compare weights and sizes.

Staff monitor children's progress and get to know them well. They recognise when children need extra help with their learning. Staff are skilful in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

They provide one-to-one support when needed and work closely with other professionals. However, on occasions, staff do not consistently interact with less confident children, to ensure they are always fully engaged in their learning.The manager continuously evaluates the performance of the nursery and takes into account the views of staff and parents.

Staff feel they are managed well and receive meaningful support and training.Parents speak highly about the caring and welcoming staff team. They comment positively about the communication with staff and the level of support that they receive.

They say that staff keep them informed about their children's progress, for example, through daily feedback and face-to-face meetings, which have resumed now.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have a sound understanding of child protection and can identify when a child may be at risk of harm.

They understand their roles and responsibilities in making referrals to the relevant agencies, should they have a concern about children or the conduct of others. Robust recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. Staff use risk assessment to help minimise potential hazards and maintain a safe environment.

All staff hold paediatric first-aid certificates. This ensures that staff are able to care for children in the event of an accident.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance further the quality of interactions with less confident children, ensuring they are always fully engaged in their learning nensure there is consistency in implementing the setting's strategies for managing children's behaviour, to further help children self-regulate their behaviour.