University Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children reap the benefits of a well-thought-out curriculum.

Staff plan a wealth of learning experiences that reflect children's individual interests and aptitudes. Children form strong bonds with staff and approach visitors with confidence. They demonstrate they are happy and feel safe.

In all areas of the nursery, children easily access high-quality, age-appropriate resources to further support their learning. Older children are enormously independent. They enjoy almost continuous access to the outdoors, enabling them to make full use of this stimulating and well-planned environment.

Children demonstrate the...y are very self-reliant and solve problems with confidence. For instance, when children believe the water butt is empty, they quickly seek out an alternative source. They carefully transport water across the play area so they can continue with their self-chosen activity.

Babies are nurtured well. They have reassuring cuddles from staff, and benefit from being able to rest and sleep when they need to. Staff work closely with parents to make sure young children's home routines are known and followed.

As children grow older, staff give high priority to teaching them how to share and take turns. As a result, children play together very well. They are highly respectful of staff and each other.

When children need help to manage their behaviour, staff provide positive support and guidance.

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

Staff have positive encouragement from the management team to gain qualifications. They engage in a variety of training opportunities that help them to extend their knowledge of childcare practice.

Staff say they have good support from their managers and feel valued by the company. Their health and well-being is given a high priority. In a few instances, some staff would benefit from more focused professional development in order to support them to extend their teaching skills still further.

Parents clearly hold the nursery and staff in high regard. They speak warmly about their child's key person and say children are looked after very well. Staff make sure parents have daily information about their children's learning through their online system.

Parents say staff know their children very well and consider their individual interests. For instance, staff make children's favourite resources and comforters available, which helps to promote children's emotional well-being.To help children to be ready for school, staff carefully plan more structured activities that focus on extending older children's concentration and listening skills.

Children practise their mark making, and some form letters and numbers with skill and precision. They follow school routines as, for example, they learn to carry their food trays to tables at lunchtime. Staff talk to children about their move to their various schools to ignite their enthusiasm and confidence.

From an early age, children learn to enjoy books and listen to stories. Staff introduce young children to books with flaps and buttons to attract their attention. Children choose books eagerly and take them to staff, who respond positively and provide enjoyable spontaneous storytelling sessions.

Children sing out loud as they play, demonstrating their happiness. They know a wide variety of songs and enjoy joining in with small-group singing sessions.Children have many opportunities within the nursery to share their diverse languages and cultures.

Staff work closely with parents to learn about children's home lives and help them to mark their special events, such as birthdays or Hanukah. Managers have recently begun to reach out to their community. For example, they have successfully made links with a local school, so children can share in school events and make use of their woodland area.

However, there is scope to give children richer experiences that enhance their understanding of people, families and communities beyond their own.Children thoroughly enjoy being creative. They spend long periods of time making up their own scenarios.

Children create 'cupcakes' from mud and chatter happily to staff about their favourite flavours. They pretend tape measures are snakes and get lost in the 'jungle'. Staff skilfully adapt activities to extend children's own ideas.

For example, making play dough turns into a lovely exploration of texture, colour and consistency.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Managers and staff complete regular training to update their understanding of safeguarding procedures.

They are clear about their responsibilities to protect children and know how to address any concerns they may have about children's welfare. Staff keep accurate records, for example, of children's attendance and any accidents that occur, which helps to enhance children's safety. Staff manage and minimise risks effectively.

They carry out daily rigorous checks of the nursery and resources. They carefully adhere to parents' wishes with regard to children's individual dietary needs.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: refine the programme for professional development to focus firmly on enhancing individual staff members' skills and knowledge to help them to deliver the best possible teaching make more of opportunities to widen children's understanding of people, families and communities outside of their own experiences.

Also at this postcode