Zebedees Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, secure and settled in the nursery. Children become engrossed in their learning and embed their knowledge because staff know how to use children's fascinations to engage them. For example, children build a train track indoors and outdoors, then use open-ended resources to build their own train.

They work together to move large equipment, consider ways to solve problems and extend their vocabulary and imagination. Children explore and investigate the exciting activities and know where to find additional resources to develop their own ideas. Children remain engaged in group activities.

For example, two...-year-olds are eager to continue choosing songs to sing, by selecting pictures from a bag. Children listen and respond well to adults and each other. Staff successfully help children to keep trying with new tasks and skills, and children want to succeed.

For example, staff ask older children good open-ended questions to help them think critically, such as 'what else could we try?' and 'what could we use to make that more secure?'. Staff provide good support for babies' language skills. For example, they make eye contact and the babies smile at their key person as they talk to them.

Staff respond in conversation as babies babble and provide words as children explore the resources.

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

The manager ensures an ambitious curriculum for children. She observes staff practice and asks them why they are doing what they are doing, to ensure they think about the impact on children.

The manager has a good understanding of good quality teaching and she is supported well in her role by the nursery owners. Staff confirm how well they are helped in developing their practice and being given opportunities for training, to extend their knowledge and skills.The manager intends for staff to use their observations of children's interests and development, along with discussions with parents, to plan a motivating environment where children are eager to learn.

This is implemented successfully. Staff know their key children really well. They share good information with each other daily, so that all staff can support children in their next steps of development.

However, occasionally, children spend time without support from staff, if their key person is not present, so they are not as challenged in their learning as others.Staff focus on babies' prime areas of development and build on this throughout the nursery to give children a solid foundation for future learning. For example, babies cruise around furniture to look at photographs of themselves and their friends.

Toddlers enjoy books and singing familiar songs, and older children are currently fascinated with letters and making up silly words.Staff extend children's vocabulary as they develop, so that the pre-school children use complex sentences, including those learning an additional language. However, teaching is not always helping children to hear and use correct words or information.

For example, staff refer to a train as a choo choo and praise children when they repeat it. They confirm that all the animals children have found live on a farm, when a few of them do not.Parent comments about the nursery are positive, especially about the staff and how much their children love coming to nursery.

Those parents new to the setting know their child's key person and comment about how effectively they helped their children to settle, finding out everything the parents know about their children. Parents receive good verbal and written feedback and comment on how successfully their children are prepared for school.Children behave well and receive good support to understand how their behaviour can impact on others.

There are strong, positive relationships throughout the nursery and staff are gentle with children. Toddlers and older children gain good independence, especially in managing their self-care skills. For example, they pour themselves a drink of water and older children serve their lunch.

Staff ensure children develop safe and healthy lifestyles. They teach them the importance of dental care, exercise, hygiene and healthy eating. Children help themselves to tissues and blow their nose, placing the tissue in the bin.

They learn to manage appropriate risks, under supervision.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff have regular safeguarding training and the manager checks their knowledge so they are clear about their roles and responsibilities.

They know the signs and symptoms to be aware of should they have concerns that a child may be at risk of harm. Staff have a good understanding of their whistleblowing procedures, including who they can go to outside of the organisation. The manager and staff carry out good risk assessments for the premises and all outings.

The manager ensures staff record and report any accidents or incidents. She monitors these for any patterns so she can act where necessary to keep children safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: focus staff development on challenging all children, especially in their key person's absence, to make as much progress as they can develop consistency in the quality of teaching of children's communication and language development, so that children hear correct pronunciations and information.