Butterfly Blue Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children make good levels of progress in relation to their starting points.

They quickly develop a wide range of skills to support the next stage in their learning. Babies watch staff scoop and move sand around the play tray. They persevere as they copy staff's actions to successfully scoop up the sand.

Overall, children are confident communicators. Pre-primary children respond to staff's questions, using increasingly complex vocabulary. They recreate experiences from home, talking through their imaginative play and take on familiar parental roles, such as going to work or taking care of the baby.

Children beh...ave well. They take turns and share resources. Staff skilfully intervene when minor disagreements break out.

They use age-appropriate ways to help children learn how to manage their feelings and behaviour. Children of all ages enjoy listening to stories and looking at books. They settle down close to their key person, helping to turn the pages or joyfully repeating familiar sentences.

This helps to promote children's early literacy skills. Toddlers explore cornflour gloop, making marks in the tray. Older children carefully cut out Christmas tree shapes before adding glitter.

Staff praise their creations. This supports children's self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities.

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

The manager has worked hard to lead her team and ensure that all actions raised at the last inspection are met.

Staff take part in regular supervision meetings. This helps to develop their practice and raise the quality of teaching further. They are encouraged to request additional training.

For example, some staff are developing their use of sign language and would like to attend training to learn more words.Overall, staff provide good opportunities for children of all ages to play in a language-rich environment. However, at times, staff ask too many questions before children, especially toddlers, have had a chance to think and respond.

This does not consistently enable them to learn new words and practise using them.The manager oversees the deployment of staff to help ensure that children are supervised at all times. Staff move around their rooms to support children as they play.

The key-person system works well. Children form strong attachments to their key person, safe in the knowledge there is someone to turn to should they need reassurance or a cuddle.Staff provide children with an ambitious curriculum that builds on what they know and what they need to learn next.

For example, pre-primary children are keen to learn what the different parts of their bodies are called. They giggle and laugh as they use pens to draw around their friends, laying on large pieces of paper. Children add further details, such as eyes, a mouth and fingers.

Before long, the outlines are full of colour as children eagerly tell staff what they have drawn.Daily routines are generally well organised and run smoothly. Staff involve children to help support their independence skills.

However, there are times when staff do not organise mealtimes effectively to keep children actively engaged, particularly with the hungry toddler group.Parents comment, in written testimonials, they are happy with the care and learning opportunities their children receive. Parents are guided, by photographs displayed on the wall, as to who their child's key person is.

Regular information sharing between parents and staff help to support good levels of continuity in children's care and learning.Children enjoy playing outside. The garden spaces are inviting and offer endless opportunities to explore and be physically active.

Older children enjoy shovelling gravel around the construction area, while babies practise their early walking skills. Children learn about the world around them. They grow their own potatoes, herbs and wildflowers to attract insects.

Partnerships with staff at local schools work well to help children move smoothly to the next stage of their learning. Staff share written assessments with teachers and encourage them to visit the children in the nursery. There are good links with professionals, such as health visitors and speech and language therapists, that help to support those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff have refreshed and updated their knowledge of all child protection and wider safeguarding matters. Staff know the signs and symptoms they must be alert to that may indicate children are at risk of harm or abuse.

They understand the dangers posed to children from radicalisation or extremist behaviour. Staff are aware of where to find the appropriate telephone numbers and email addresses in the event of any concerns.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build further on staff's questioning techniques to allow all children sufficient time to think about and respond to questions in their own time nencourage staff to make greater use of group activities to increase children's participation and engagement, particularly during the organisation of daily routines, such as snack and mealtimes.