Whitehill Childcare Services Ltd

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children are very happy, eager to play and ready to learn in this wonderful nursery. Staff know each child's needs extremely well.

They skilfully adapt their teaching to ensure all children are included and make rapid progress in learning. Staff consistently add challenge and encourage children with meaningful praise and nurturing interactions. Children's behaviour is exemplary.

Even the youngest readily share resources and ideas as they play. Older children negotiate roles and make friendships. Children take turns in games and enthusiastically applaud the achievements of others.

As a result of the insp...irational teaching, children remember what they have learned through their play and are confident learners. They concentrate extremely well and persevere, with encouragement from staff and other children. For example, children try different ways to make a roof for their den, helping each other to find what they need.

When they finally succeed, they sit inside to enjoy a story with a member of staff who expertly develops learning further. Children show understanding and follow the story as they draw maps and use them to excitedly find animals in the garden. Children relish learning outdoors and being physically active.

For example, they delight in kicking footballs to each other over washing lines, jump in and out of hoops and use one to blow huge bubbles to pop.

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

Managers and staff have an excellent understanding of how children learn. They ensure children have the skills and knowledge they need for future learning.

For example, children develop arm muscles needed for writing as they turn the handle on spinners to paint pictures or draw on large boards. Children develop independence and the positive attitudes, such as a love of books, that they need for future success at school.Staff make excellent use of children's immediate interests to promote their learning.

They provide a wealth of opportunities to inspire conversation and teach new vocabulary. Children are highly motivated to explore the exciting environment. For example, children explore the smell and textures as they mix real ingredients to make 'ice creams'.

Staff show incredible skill and use a wide range of expert strategies to promote children's communication skills. For example, they often bring songs and rhymes into their interactions. Children learn to listen carefully as they make loud and soft noises with rhythm sticks.

Staff make excellent use of sign language and picture clues to enhance children's understanding of speech.Mathematical learning is embedded thoughtfully throughout the nursery. For example, younger children learn about capacity as they fill containers.

Older children confidently count and order large numbers in the garden.Staff and children have wonderful relationships that help children feel exceptionally safe and secure. Staff consistently model respectful behaviour, help children to feel valued and boost their self-esteem.

For example, children look at photographs of their activities. Staff add comments such as, 'I like the way you did that.' Managers are successfully building on previous excellent practice.

Staff supervision and training is targeted to develop staff knowledge and skills and continually improve the excellent outcomes for children. Managers use the close school link well to access high-quality training opportunities for staff. For example, staff attended sign language training so that they can better support children's understanding and speech development.

The provider actively promotes staff well-being through being consistently available for support and providing well-being resources. Managers and staff work extremely well together as a team, for example, sharing ideas for even more improvements to the environment and their practice. Parents comment on the 'happy staff'.

Managers and staff foster strong and supportive relationships with parents through extremely good communication of children's progress and activities. Ideas for learning at home are regularly promoted. Managers have recorded videos of play to share with parents and children borrow books to take home to read.

Children are happy when parents stay in the nursery to share activities, for example, to read stories during book week.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The provider ensures that safeguarding is a key focus and a shared responsibility in the nursery.

Staff regularly refresh their knowledge of safeguarding through training and staff discussion. They have a strong understanding of what might be a concern and how to respond to protect children from harm. The provider deploys staff very well to ensure children receive ongoing and effective supervision and support, indoors and outdoors.

Managers and staff regularly risk assess the environment and make necessary changes to help to ensure children play and learn safely. They teach children to manage their own risks, such as using scissors correctly. Regular fire drills, with the school, help children learn how to evacuate the building in an emergency.

Also at this postcode