Verwood Day Nursery Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children confidently come into the setting and quickly settle into activities of their choice. Staff have high expectations for the children, which they respond well to. Children are motivated to learn and involve themselves in the good learning opportunities provided by staff.

For example, older children find leaves and twigs and use them to experiment with making marks on their paper with paint. Younger children enjoy using their senses as they explore baskets containing balls of different sizes and textures. They giggle as they throw and roll them to staff, who respond warmly and pass them back.

Children enjoy liste...ning to stories and are keen to use the props to help them get more involved and enhance their enjoyment.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to enable children to make good progress in all aspects of their learning and development.

Children have amazing opportunities to play, exercise and develop their physical skills in the well-resourced and well-thought-out garden. This is split into several different areas, one of which is a vegetable garden to enable children of all ages to learn about healthy eating using the fruit and vegetables they have grown.

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

Staff offer a wide range of different opportunities to enable children to learn about their community and the wider world.

For example, older children visit a local dementia care home where they take part in activities with the residents and the setting sponsors a guide dog. This helps children to learn about people who are different to themselves and to value and respect others.In general, staff follow good daily routines that promote children's independence and choices in their learning.

However, on occasions, staff are not sufficiently organised to fully engage the children from the outset. For example, at times, children have to wait while the staff look for the resources they need for the specific activity.Staff make very good use of the outside area and ensure that they plan activities for all ages of children to support all areas of learning.

For example, they have recently developed a mark-making area where children can independently make marks using a wide variety of materials. Children also thoroughly enjoy using planks of wood and pieces of guttering to balance on. They roll cars or balls down too and watch how they move differently depending on the height of the guttering.

Although the nursery adheres to ratios at all times, staff are not always deployed effectively between the rooms downstairs to ensure that children are fully supported in their play and that any deteriorating behaviour does not go unnoticed.The management team provides good levels of support and coaching opportunities for staff. Regular individual meetings support staff in their role and promote their well-being.

Managers place a high emphasis on the mental well-being of staff and have ensured they have staff specifically trained to offer counselling and support.Staff develop positive relationships with parents. They continually share information about how their children are progressing and involve parents in children's learning.

For example, parents visit the nursery and share their skills with the children as they tell them about their working life as a police officer or fire officer.Children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning or the move to school. Staff work with local schools to ensure the transition is smooth and children have all the skills they need to be confident and independent learners.

For example, staff focus on literacy and making sure that children have good opportunities to develop their early literacy skills.Staff use effective teaching methods and complete regular observations and assessments to help children make good progress in their learning. Managers oversee these to ensure that all children are making the best progress possible given their starting points.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff demonstrate good knowledge and understanding of how to safeguard children. They regularly update their training to include the wider aspects of safeguarding.

All staff are clear on the procedures to follow in the event of a concern about a child's welfare. They are well supported by the management team and there is information displayed to make parents aware of the importance of safeguarding. Children are encouraged to be involved in risk assessment to make sure they understand potential hazards and how they can keep themselves safe.

For example, children are 'safety spies' and look out for any possible hazards. This enables children to take controlled risks while keeping themselves safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review how staff organise activities to enable children to be involved in the activity from the start consider how staff are deployed to enable them to support children in their play.