Banana Moon Day Nursery Kingsbury

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff know the children well as individuals and meet their care and learning needs effectively. They observe children, assess their stage of development, and ensure learning builds on what they have already achieved. Children are happy on arrival.

Their emotional security is initially addressed well; for example, a gradual settling-in procedure is agreed with parents in accordance with their child's needs. Children develop positive relationships with staff, and older children form friendships with their peers. Younger children play happily alongside others.

Children behave well and staff ensure that they understand exp...ectations for behaviour. Children play cooperatively. They show consideration for others and learn to share and take turns.

Older children express themselves confidently, and staff interpret effectively the wants and needs of younger children whose language skills are at an early stage. Children learn to independently manage tasks for themselves. They all collect their coats, and the three- and four-year-olds can put them on without any help.

They try to manage zip fasteners, and staff give them time to use their good handling skills and 'have a go' before offering assistance. Children's good health is supported well. They learn about healthy food and are physically active outside every day.

Older children ask staff to play hide and seek with them. While running around excitedly, they demonstrate good balance as they avoid other children.

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

Significant improvements have been made since the last inspection.

The manager, who had only just been appointed at that time, has worked effectively with staff to risk assess all activities and improve teaching practice. Observation, assessment and planning systems are effective and children are making good progress which prepares them well for the next stage of their education. The provider and the company's quality adviser have provided good support for the manager.

Older children engage in conversation with their friends, staff and visitors. They are inquisitive and motivated to learn. They engage in imaginative role play with their friends and use their good language skills while pretending to be different characters.

Babies and some young children communicate through gestures and the sounds of their voices. Staff interpret their wants and needs well, while also repeating sounds and modelling single words to encourage their speaking skills. To support language development, staff add a word when repeating the single words that the young children say.

Partnerships with parents are effective and parents share positive views about the provision. When assessment identifies children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, staff consult with parents and work with them to obtain any additional support that a child might need.Two-year-old children practise their good handling skills while playing with oats, scoops, spoons and containers that staff provide in a large tray.

Older children concentrate well while creating models with very small construction bricks.Children are provided with healthy meals and snacks. Fresh food is cooked on the premises every day.

Mealtimes are social occasions and children's independence is supported well by staff. For example, children pour their own milk or water and scrape their plates when they have finished their lunch, and older children cut up their own food.Children learn about healthy eating and oral health.

Staff lead an activity for older children with a focus on how to keep their teeth strong. They challenge children to select pictures showing different foods and then decide whether to match the picture to a large picture of a healthy mouth or an unhealthy mouth with bad teeth.Children count and use mathematical language while they play.

They count out objects, such as large buttons, corks and pegs, and then collect the numeral to label the quantity they have counted.Policies and procedures are effective and inclusive for those children who attend. Some practice helps children to recognise their own unique qualities and the characteristics they share with others.

However, staff's practice is not fully effective in helping children to learn about traditions, families and communities beyond their own.Babies explore different textures and notice the marks they can make in paint, flour and play dough. They know that some of the books available to them contain different textures and they scratch the pages with their fingertips.

Young children are developing an interest in books. Staff encourage them to say the missing words when they tell the children a familiar story. They then encourage the young children to create a picture that looks like the character in the book, using the materials that the staff provide.

Some of the children take part in the activity, but staff do not consider offering the children a wide choice of resources so that they can explore textures and materials and develop their own ideas.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff complete training to keep their child protection knowledge up to date.

They are aware of the signs of abuse and neglect, and know the internal and local referral procedures to follow if they have a concern. Staff are aware of the duty to prevent children being drawn into situations that put them at risk. The premises are secure so that children cannot leave unsupervised, and unwanted visitors cannot gain access.

Risk assessment is effective and staff identify and successfully minimise potential risks indoors and outdoors. Staff recruitment and selection procedures meet requirements.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove support for younger children to independently select and explore textures and materials and 'have a go' at developing their own ideas build on current practice to help children to understand similarities and differences regarding communities, cultures and families beyond their own.