Battenhall Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are very happy in this warm, welcoming and homely environment. They arrive happily and separate well from their parents.

Children form strong bonds with staff. This helps them to feel settled and secure. New children attending are given plenty of cuddles and comfort.

This positively enhances their emotional well-being and helps them to settle quickly. Children are motivated in their learning. They are keen to take part in all that is offered to them.

Pre-school children enjoy exploring paint and show great curiosity as they mix the colours together to create a new colour. They show great delight when ...they correctly predict what the new colour will be. Younger children enjoy having their favourite stories read to them.

They snuggle up to staff and confidently join in, pointing to the pictures and making the sounds of the characters. Children who speak English as an additional language develop good communication skills that help prepare them for their future learning. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour.

They praise and reward positive behaviours, and, as a result, children are kind and considerate towards each other.

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

The nursery is led by a strong management and leadership team who are passionate about providing the best possible care and learning opportunities for all children. Managers value the staff team, and have a high regard for their welfare and professional development.

This helps to ensure staff feel valued and supported.The well-qualified staff have a good understanding of how young children learn and develop. They provide children with a good range of activities that match their current interests.

However, staff caring for babies do not always plan enough opportunities to further enhance their play experiences outdoors.The manager and staff closely monitor children's progress. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from teaching that matches their individual needs.

Staff are proactive and engage well with other professionals to gain further help and support for children. This means that any identified gaps in children's learning are closing.Staff are kind, caring and respond well to the individual needs of children.

They promote children's emerging speech well. They model language and introduce new words for children to repeat. Older children readily engage in discussions and conversations.

Babies confidently babble with excitement as they play. Toddlers enjoy joining in with songs and rhymes.Staff act as good role models and give children clear and appropriate explanations about expected behaviour.

Staff encourage children to share, take turns and cooperate with each other. As a result, children play harmoniously throughout the nursery.Staff carefully plan for new children's settling-in procedures.

Children are offered a staggered start and parents are invited to spend time with them at nursery. During these sessions staff gain information from parents to enable them to assess children's starting points and current interests. This allows children to make progress from the very beginning.

Children's good health is promoted well. Staff help children to learn the importance of good hygiene routines, such as washing their hands before meals and catching their sneezes to stop the spread of germs. Children benefit from freshly prepared meals and snacks that are tailored to their individual dietary needs.

Parents spoken to on the day of inspection were extremely complimentary about the nursery. They express how happy and settled their children are and appreciate how much progress their children have made since attending. Parents are kept informed about their children's time at nursery, receiving updates and photos of their children via the online system.

Parents say, 'The nursery is like a home-from-home environment.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Managers and staff have a good knowledge of child protection issues.

They are confident with the procedures to follow should they have concerns about children's welfare. Staff maintain a safe environment and supervise children well. Staff confidently follow the setting's safeguarding policies and procedures, such as the safe use of mobile phones.

All staff hold current first-aid certificates, which means they can respond quickly in the event of any accidents. Staff monitor sleeping babies regularly to ensure they are safe and comfortable.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on the current opportunities for babies to extend their play and learning experiences outdoors.