Zippys Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, engaged and settled in the nursery. Babies snuggle into staff and sit close to them when they need reassurance. Older children enjoy telling stories and singing songs to staff, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure.

Staff act as good role models for children. They are kind and approachable and provide a calm environment with clear expectations for children's behaviour. As a result, children are well behaved.

For example, babies begin to learn to take turns and enjoy helping to tidy up. Older children are kind to each other; they learn to share their toys and show concern for each other if the...y get upset. Children build good levels of self-esteem and behave well, receiving lots of praise for their efforts and achievements.

Staff support children to be independent from an early age. They have high expectations and provide ample opportunities for children to practise and manage their self-care needs. For instance, older children serve themselves at mealtimes, and younger children are encouraged to feed themselves and put on their own shoes before going outside.

Children are keen to engage in play with staff and their peers and have a positive attitude to learning. They have fun and enjoy the interactions they receive. As a result, children make the progress they need to be ready for their next stages in learning, including the eventual move to school.

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

The manager and staff work well as a team. They take time to get to know the children well and plan activities that reflect children's interests and next steps. The manager has established a clear curriculum, which helps children to build on their knowledge and skills to prepare them for the next stage in their learning.

The setting's ethos and curriculum are shared well with staff, who plan effectively for each child's individual development.Staff support children's developing language skills well. They use stories and songs with props to help children listen, build and use their vocabulary to contribute their thoughts and ideas.

Recent training in signing has also had a positive impact on communication in the baby room. Older children happily engage in interesting conversation with staff and confidently share their views and ideas.Parents are complimentary about the nursery.

They feel that the manager and staff know their children well. Parents comment that their children are making good progress and have increased their speaking skills and confidence. However, better systems could be in place to keep parents up to date with their children's learning.

Staff encourage children's literacy development effectively. For example, children enjoy listening to and acting out their 'book of the month', and older children confidently use tools to make marks, developing their fine motor skills and pencil grip.The manager and staff work together to evaluate the nursery effectively.

They have regular meetings to discuss what is going well and identify any areas for improvement, taking into account the views of children and parents. For example, they have recently introduced more opportunities for children to make choices in their play.Children learn about good hygiene routines and healthy food choices.

They understand the importance of handwashing, and a teeth brushing programme has recently been implemented at the nursery to promote children's understanding of oral health. Children benefit from regular opportunities to exert themselves physically. For example, they enjoy playing in the garden and using the climbing equipment.

Staff help children to learn about their local community and provide children with a variety of new and valuable experiences.The manager carries out regular staff supervisions and observations and supports the staff well. Regular opportunities for professional development further support staff to develop their skills.

For instance, recent training in adult-child interactions has really helped staff to raise the quality of their teaching and provision to the highest levels.Staff's interactions with children are positive and are used well to motivate children to join in and 'have a go'. Staff ask meaningful questions to test children's understanding and follow the children's lead in play.

At times, staff are not deployed as effectively as possible to help children get the most out of all activities, particularly in the garden.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff complete regular safeguarding training.

They have a good understanding of how to keep children safe and the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a child's well-being. The manager and staff are clear about their responsibilities in the event of an allegation being made. Recruitment procedures are robust.

This includes the background checks that are carried out to ensure the ongoing suitability of staff working in the nursery. Staff conduct regular risk assessments to keep the premises secure and safe for children to play.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review staff deployment to ensure that children get the best out of all activities provided develop procedures for sharing information with parents to keep them up to date with what their children are learning.