Ashby Neighbourhood Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children have a great deal of fun during their time at the nursery. They are happy and busy in the well-organised and inviting learning environment. The manager and her staff have a strong determination that children will be fully engaged and motivated.

They provide many imaginative and carefully planned activities. For example, children enjoy developing their mathematical skills when they play 'What Time is it, Mr Wolf?' throughout the stimulating outdoor areas. Children are safe and well cared for.

Staff reflect parents' routines well. There are good opportunities for babies and children to eat, sleep and play in a c...alm, clean and relaxed environment. Children become confident and secure in their play.

They are well behaved, polite and friendly. Children relate well to staff and build friendships with other children. Staff praise children frequently.

They value children's achievements. for example, through the attractive displays of their work which enhance the open-plan rooms. The manager and her staff have high expectations for all aspects of children's learning and development.

They have recently introduced new assessment and planning procedures following a period of staff changes. Staff establish a strong partnership with parents and work effectively with other professionals. Children's physical skills are promoted through the many opportunities for fresh air.

They enjoy interesting activities such as animal yoga, dance and big body play.

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

Staff know the children well. Well-planned and considered induction procedures help new children settle smoothly into the nursery's routines, whenever they start.

Staff gather useful information from parents when children first start to plan for their future learning and care.The experienced and reflective manager has a clear vision for the future development of the nursery. There are robust procedures to evaluate and improve the quality of teaching.

The manager has established a purposeful staff team. The manager and staff carefully consider the most effective ways to organise and manage the nursery, based on training and consultation. Staff eagerly try new strategies.

For example, they are implementing procedures to sharpen their knowledge of children's achievements further and match learning precisely to emerging interests. There has not been time for this practice to be fully embedded and the impact reviewed.Staff encourage children to try new experiences and progressively broaden and deepen their understanding and skills for their future learning.

They help children to make links between different areas of learning to reinforce their knowledge and recall. For example, children use toy vehicles from around the nursery to dig in the mud kitchen and fill different-sized containers. Staff help children develop their physical strength and accuracy when digging and extend their mathematical language.

Staff promote children's communication skills well. They develop children's speaking skills through, for instance, personal animated and engaging conversations and questions. Good-quality children's books, rhymes and stories are central to many aspects of children's learning.

Staff ensure children have easy and regular access to attractive and age-appropriate books throughout their play. However, staff do not consistently encourage children to work things out for themselves and express their own thoughts.Children's mark-making skills are strongly promoted indoors and outdoors.

Staff make sure that children are enticed by the wide range of good-quality writing, painting and drawing media. Children develop their hand control and grip when they mould play dough or create shapes in sand and foam.Staff make good use of any additional funding children receive to have a lasting impact on children's achievement and address any gaps in their learning.

For example, staff benefit from courses on boys' learning and children's speaking skills. Consequently, they provide high-quality resources for building fine muscle development and promote sentence structure and children's story-making skills.The partnership with parents is strong.

Staff provide thorough information on children's routines and achievements. Parents appreciate the guidance and support they receive to help their children through key stages of development such as toilet training and independent eating. Parents typically comment that their children feel 'safe', 'secure' and 'valued' at the nursery.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and her staff are well trained in child protection procedures. They know how to identify signs that children may be at risk of abuse or neglect.

They are very clear who to report their concerns to and how to make sure they are suitably managed. There are clear procedures for handling an allegation against a member of staff. Staff ensure that children play in a secure and safe environment.

Children help to check the premises are clean and safe before they play outdoors. This also contributes to their good personal development.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nembed the new procedures for assessment and planning and evaluate their impact on children's achievement strengthen staff's promotion of children's creative thinking and the articulation of their own ideas.