Coalbrookdale & Ironbridge Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff regularly observe children and successfully plan for what they need to learn next. Children are consistently engrossed in their play.

For example, children pretend to sit in an imaginary vehicle, with one of them holding a pretend wooden steering wheel and both of them wearing plastic police hats. They laugh together and talk to each other about the roles that they are playing. Additionally, children use their senses to explore a range of different-coloured jellies.

They manipulate the jelly with their fingers, use spoons to fill containers and mix the jelly using rotary whisks. During such activities, staff deve...lop children's knowledge about the texture of the jelly and reinforce concepts such as empty and full and colour mixing. Children have good opportunities to develop their hand-to-eye coordination.

For instance, they retrieve objects from the water with aquarium nets. Children are eager and excited as they join in with repeated phrases and actions from the story book. This helps them to develop their understanding of language.

Children persevere and solve problems as they complete the jigsaw puzzles. They are happy, self-assured and interact freely and enthusiastically with one another and staff.

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

The joint managers construct an exciting curriculum that promotes sensory play and challenge across all the areas of learning.

Staff provide a supportive role in children's learning and help them to achieve goals that are slightly above their ability. For example, they consistently model new skills and support children as they attempt to accomplish these. Staff recognise and celebrate children's successes with them, thereby developing their confidence.

Staff skilfully and enthusiastically implement daily literacy sessions for children. Children are beginning to recognise letters and their sounds. Some older children are confident at writing their own names.

Children experience exciting, regular hands-on learning at the on-site school small woodland area. This provides them with exciting opportunities to explore with their senses and to take manageable risks in their play. For example, children climb trees, build dens, play with the mud and scramble up the bank and then slide down it.

Staff have attended training on how to support early education for two-year-olds effectively. As a result, staff have a good understanding of the fluctuating emotional and physical needs of younger children and support them well.Staff have attended equality and inclusion training.

Consequently, they skilfully help children to learn about the similarities and differences in people. For example, children explore multicultural festivals throughout the year and play with a range of toys and resources that positively reflect diversity.Partnerships with parents, other professionals and schools are strong.

The nursery seeks the views of parents, children and staff. This helps to identify effective targets and drive forward ongoing improvements that benefit the children attending.Parents can choose for their child to have a hot, nutritious meal in the on-site school dinner hall, and staff provide children with healthy snacks and drinks.

Staff work well as a team and act as good role models for the children. They have high expectations and skilfully support children to follow the rules. Children behave well and show a high regard for one another.

The joint managers make sure that staff receive regular individual support meetings where they can seek advice, discuss their key children and talk about their workloads and future training requirements. This helps to make sure that teaching is consistently good and to successfully prepare children for the next stage in their learning, such as school.Staff support children in using a variety of communication strategies.

However, some staff do not always fully encourage children to express their thoughts and ideas.Staff inform parents about the progress their child is making across all the areas of learning. However, not all parents are provided with as much information as possible about how they can best support their child's learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.One of the managers regularly attends designated safeguarding lead network meetings. This helps her to keep up to date with developing safeguarding practices.

All staff have a good knowledge of the signs that may indicate a child is at risk of abuse or neglect. They are aware of the correct procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a child's welfare. There are effective recruitment and induction procedures in place to ensure staff's suitability to work with children.

Staff plan opportunities for children to learn about how to keep themselves safe. For example, under close supervision, children practise road safety skills on real roads.

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 techniques that encourage children to talk and express themselves, so that their language and communication skills are fully enhanced throughout the day nexpand the information provided to all parents about how they can support their child's learning at home, so that children make the best possible progress.

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