York House Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children have lots of fun in this vibrant nursery. Staff have great enthusiasm for their roles and share how they want the very best for every child.

They generally pay attention to what interests and motivates children when planning for their learning. This contributes to the eagerness some children show to join in with activities. Learning plans are generally well focused on what children need to learn next.

This helps children to build on their current knowledge and skills. However, staff have not fully considered ways to support children's developing language and communication skills even more effectively. Children... are polite and respectful.

They learn how to keep themselves and others around them safe. For example, they learn to handle tools correctly and talk about their friend's allergies at mealtimes. Staff encourage children to take turns and share during activities and they learn about rules for good behaviour.

Parents are extremely satisfied with the care and education their children receive. They talk about the 'family feel' the nursery has and praise staff for 'going the extra mile'. Children also demonstrate that they feel happy, confident and safe in nursery.

They tell the inspector that they love nursery and especially like drawing and playing with their friends.

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

Teaching is rooted in a secure understanding of how children learn. Staff are committed to ongoing professional development and managers are developing even more ways for staff to reflect on their practice.

This contributes to ongoing improvement. For example, following training courses, staff have implemented new ways to encourage boys to develop their writing skills.There is a good balance of adult-led activities and opportunities for children to lead their own play.

Staff guide children's learning well. For example, they offer suggestions and ask questions while playing alongside children. However, staff are not always alert to those children who need more encouragement or are not as confident to participate.

Children very much enjoy exciting song and story sessions. Staff read with enthusiasm and aim to bring stories to life. This, to some degree, helps children to build on their language skills and extend their vocabulary.

However, plans to support children who need extra support in this area of learning are not as focused as they could be.Hygiene procedures are robust. Children learn good habits through consistent routines that help to them to understand the importance of healthy lifestyles.

They benefit from plenty of fresh air, exercise and nutritious meals, which contributes to their good physical health.Staff promote children's physical development very well. Babies pull themselves up and crawl through, under and over the carefully thought out equipment provided.

Older children climb and balance as they negotiate obstacle courses they have designed.Children have strong skills in early mathematics. Staff provide plenty of opportunities for them to learn about numbers and counting.

For example, children weigh and count ingredients while baking a cake. This contributes to their high achievements in this area of learning.Staff have developed strong links in the community.

Children visit local places of interest, such as a residential care home, a castle and forest areas. This helps them to build on their experiences and learn more about the world around them. They begin to understand the beliefs and traditions of other cultures through age-appropriate activities.

For example, they learn about Chinese New Year while taking part in a dragon dance in costume.Managers are committed to continuous improvement. They consult with staff, parents and children to identify priorities for development.

They are currently planning more improvements to the garden to enhance children's learning opportunities outdoors.Support for children with special educational needs and/or a disabilities is very well coordinated. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to tailor care and learning plans to meet children's individual needs.

Children benefit from plenty of praise and show high levels of self-esteem. For example, a boy exclaims, 'I am a champion,' when staff praise him for trying hard.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that they have up-to-date knowledge about safeguarding legislation and share information with staff about safe practice. Clear policies and procedures are in place to guide them in what to do if they are concerned about a child's welfare. Staff know children well and are alert to any changes in their well-being or any other signs that could indicate they are at risk of harm.

Regular checks of the environment and equipment help to ensure that children are kept safe while in the nursery. Safe recruitment procedures and ongoing checks help to ensure that staff are suitable for their role.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: focus teaching more precisely to help all children to make the best possible achievements in their communication and language development develop more effective ways to support all children to participate and benefit from staff's high-quality teaching.