Blessings Day Care & Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Leaders have worked hard to improve the weaknesses identified at their last inspection. They carefully check staff's daily risk assessments and ensure the setting is safe. Leaders are committed to improving the quality of care and education they provide.

They observe staff working with children and provide feedback, coaching and support to help them improve their practice. As a result, staff plan activities that support children to make good progress across the areas of learning.The outdoor areas are designed to challenge children's physical skills and develop their confidence and resilience.

For example, children pers...ist when climbing a steep slope. When they lose their footing, they try again until they reach the top. Children turn and sit with a big smile, proud of their achievement.

They ride balance bikes, climb climbing walls and crawl through tubes. Children make good progress in their physical development.Leaders know their local community well.

They plan opportunities to widen children's life experiences. For example, they visit the local football stadium and provide healthy cooking classes for parents. Relationships between staff, children and parents are strong.

The continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic means that parents do not enter the childcare rooms. However, staff maintain good partnerships with parents. They communicate in person when children arrive and leave, through online communication software and regular face-to-face meetings.

This enables them to meet children's individual needs.

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

Staff promote children's mathematical knowledge and understanding through play. For example, when drawing a face with toddlers, they help them to count how many eyes they have.

Older children build a tall tower and compare its height to their own. They fill containers with sand and wood chippings, and sort the counters of a game by their colour.Children make good progress in their communication and language development.

Staff introduce new words through songs and stories. They repeat babies' vocalisations back to them, and extend toddlers' sentences by repeating what they say and adding a word. However, at times, staff ask older children too many questions that require a brief answer, for example 'what colour is it?'.

This does not support children to extend their thinking or share their own thoughts and ideas.Arrangements for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are good. Staff work closely with parents and outside agencies to meet children's needs.

They use their knowledge of children's interests to help them make progress in all areas of learning. For example, staff use children's love of vehicles to encourage them to play in the sand with other children.Babies develop secure attachments with staff, who are warm and responsive to their needs.

Staff talk to children and ask their permission before changing their nappies. This means that children feel safe and able to explore and learn. This is demonstrated when babies show interest in the unfamiliar inspector.

They gradually approach them, looking back to their key person for reassurance.Children confidently choose their own play and show high levels of engagement. They choose to make marks using chalks on a plastic tray outside.

Some children can write their name. They show pride in their achievements, sharing their drawings with the inspector.Children behave well and understand the rules.

For example, they tell the inspector that they must wait for a turn on the see-saw, and do so patiently. When staff remind children about the rules, they respond promptly. However, staff do not use these opportunities to name children's emotions or help them to understand the impact their behaviour may have on others.

Children show good independence skills. They put an apron on before painting, wash their hands before eating and put their own coat on before going outside. However, at mealtimes, staff do things for children that they could do themselves.

For example, they place food, cutlery and drinks on their tray.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders promote a positive safeguarding culture at the setting.

They provide regular training to staff and check that their knowledge and understanding are up to date. The setting works together with other agencies, who provide information and support to help to keep children safe. Staff have the knowledge and understanding that they need to identify children who might be at risk of abuse.

They know the correct actions to take if they have safeguarding concerns about a child. Staff know what to do if an allegation was made against those who work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop the use of questioning, so that children have more time to process their own thoughts and respond with their own ideas further improve already good behaviour by talking to children about their feelings and emotions, and supporting them to understand the impact their behaviour has on others strengthen the arrangements for developing children's independence skills, particularly at mealtimes.