Whalley Meadows Forest School And Private Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The manager and staff work effectively with parents to provide children with experiences that they may not have at home. Children enjoy regular outings and outdoor play experiences, including forest school activities, where they learn about the world around them.

They talk with enthusiasm about the 'magic beans' that they have collected and planted. Children can take nursery books home, with accompanying information for parents about the benefits of early reading. This helps to foster children's enjoyment of books and supports their early literacy skills, ready for school.

Staff provide healthy meals that children enjo...y and share recipes with parents.Children are confident, active and creative in their play and learning. Babies show curiosity as they explore a variety of sensory resources and press the paint between the transparent wrapping.

Children work out which shaped blocks to use to make a house. They describe planets that they travel to in an imaginary rocket that they make from chairs and crates. However, occasionally, staff in the pre-school room do not maximise opportunities to build on what children know and can do.

Therefore, children's learning is not consistently challenged to help them make the best possible progress.

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

The manager has high expectations of the staff and what children can achieve. She regularly seeks and values the views of parents, children and staff.

This information is used to make improvements to practice and results are shared using 'you said, we did' feedback documents.Staff take part in regular reviews and supervision meetings with the manager to discuss their practice. However, these are not used consistently so that any weaknesses in practice are promptly identified and staff are individually supported to further improve.

Staff provide children and parents with a warm and enthusiastic welcome which helps children to settle in quickly. Children develop strong bonds with the staff and seek reassurance and cuddles when they are upset. They have a good understanding of expectations of behaviour and are kind to each other.

The nursery's special educational needs coordinator understands how to promptly identify the need for early support. She knows the importance of working closely with parents and other professionals to promote consistency in children's care and learning.Staff communicate well with children.

They encourage babies to join in with repetitive action songs and rhymes. Staff model language, introduce new words appropriately and check children's understanding, for example by asking relevant questions. They use descriptive language that widens children's vocabulary and encourages listening and attention skills during group activities.

Children's mathematics skills are promoted well, in a variety of ways. Children are eager to make predictions and estimate quantities. For example, they guess how many small tubes of water they need to fill the larger container.

Staff use mathematical language, such as 'fill it right to the top' and 'half fill it', to encourage children's thinking skills.Staff provide age-appropriate resources within an attractive, spacious learning environment that ignites children's interest and curiosity. On the whole, they provide children with opportunities and experiences that promote all areas of learning.

Children are confident to choose what they would like to play with and show a strong sense of belonging.Children are supported well to acquire the knowledge and key skills they need for future learning, and for school. Staff keep parents well informed with children's learning and progress.

Parents say that they are happy that staff have helped their child to 'come on leaps and bounds'.Staff promote children's physical skills well. They encourage tummy time and provide babies with plenty of space to move around.

Older children tie ropes around trees and pull themselves up the slope. They hold out their arms to help balance across the concrete pipe. Staff provide activities to help children develop good pencil control and early writing skills.

For example, children manipulate the dough in their hands and pick up pom-poms with tongs.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager ensures that all staff understand their role in keeping children safe through support and regular training.

Staff demonstrate a robust knowledge of the procedures to follow should they be worried a child is being abused. They use secure entry systems to ensure that all nursery visitors are known to staff before they open the door. Children are supported effectively to learn how to keep themselves safe.

Older children hold onto the 'walking rope' and know not to touch the nettles as they walk to the woods. They tell their friends to stay within the yellow ribbons on the boundary trees during forest school sessions.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: focus staff monitoring and supervision more sharply to promptly identify any weaknesses in practice and help raise the quality of teaching and learning consistently to the highest level make better use of each child's interests and what they already know and can do, particularly in the pre-school room, to provide more consistent and challenging opportunities and help them make the best possible progress.