Whitehall Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive happily at this friendly setting.

They enter eager to play with their friends and explore the activities set up for them. Staff work hard to ensure they provide a range of motivating opportunities for children based on their needs and interests. For example, children enjoy exploring sea creatures in the water tray, using fishing nets to scoop them out.

They talk with staff about how many they have and the different colours. This helps support children's developing mathematical and communication skills well. Staff have successfully prioritised children's speech and language development.

Children... demonstrate focus and engagement when exploring the outdoor environment. Older children play well together, discussing different toppings for their play dough cakes. Where younger children need support in their play, staff are kind and encouraging.

This helps support children's positive attitudes to each other and their learning. Staff have designed their curriculum effectively. Children benefit from a well-planned environment which supports their engagement and focus.

Children assist staff in setting up obstacle courses and sweeping paths to help which enhances their social skills. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. All children make good progress from their starting points.

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

Leaders, managers and staff have worked hard to improve practice and provision significantly since the last inspection. They have adapted the learning environments and their curriculum to ensure children are challenged and engaged in their learning. Staff have undertaken extensive training to develop their knowledge and skills.

Leaders and managers have an effective oversight of the setting to support staff in their roles.Staff foster children's positive behaviour by frequently praising them, which supports their self-esteem. Older children help their friends adjust their sun hats when getting ready to outside.

Younger children willingly share crafting materials while creating artwork together, promoting their social skills.Children are well-acquainted with the setting's routines. The staff engage positively with the children and have a good understanding of their needs.

However, there are instances where staff perform tasks for the children that they can try themselves. For instance, staff often wipe children's noses and faces, and open their lunches for them. This does not fully support children's emerging independence skills.

Staff work hard to develop learning environments that suitably challenge children's thinking skills. Older children enjoy working together to make a balancing beam with crates extending their physical skills. Younger children engage in thoughtful discussions with staff when sharing stories in the newly enhanced story area.

Children benefit from opportunities to develop their understanding of how to keep themselves healthy. Staff provide ingredients for children to take home to make nutritious meals with their families, to support their understanding of a balanced diet. During calm and relaxed lunchtimes, children talk about healthy eating, demonstrating their understanding.

Staff promote children's mathematical skills well. Staff encourage children to extend their number knowledge when playing hopscotch together outside. Staff patiently explain to children how to check they have counted correctly using their fingers to identify which numbers come next.

Children excitedly join in to count their jumps.Staff support children's vocabulary effectively. Children eagerly discuss with staff their experience of seeing the 'Red Arrows' over the weekend.

Staff offer further explanations about 'chinooks' to enhance children's understanding. A variety of books and stories are made available to the children to foster a love of reading.Children with SEND make good progress.

Staff use funding effectively to purchase specialised toys and visual aids to help children develop concentration skills. Staff access a range of support to ensure children and their families are well supported. Staff ensure children have smooth transitions to school.

Leaders and managers are evaluative and reflective of their practice. They are committed to providing good quality care and education. They access effective support from the local authority to help enhance their knowledge and skills and take on additional training and qualifications.

Staff are well supported in their roles and work well together as a team.Communication with parents is good. Parents are supported well with ideas to help their children's learning at home.

Parents express their thanks for the support they get as parents and how approachable staff are. They appreciate the opportunities they get to join in with 'parent days' to meet other parents. They talk of the good progress their children have made in their behaviour and learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to develop a more consistent approach to helping children develop their independence skills.