Cuddles @ The Stadium

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy at the nursery.

They form good relationships with staff who are attentive to their individual needs, which helps them to make friendships with each other. Children sit together at mealtimes and join in with conversations with their friends as they enjoy healthy snacks and homemade lunches.All children make good progress in their learning and eagerly engage in motivating experiences, covering all areas of learning.

They choose their play with confidence. For instance, older children talk about caring for plants and work together to water plants in the garden. They consider how to collect the water, ne...gotiate the space across the garden and sprinkle the water onto the plants.

Younger children focus on sorting toy animals and naming them correctly. Staff introduce new vocabulary such as 'frog' and 'wolf'. This helps younger children to sustain their concentration.

Leaders are aware of the experiences that children missed out on during the COVID-19 pandemic. Settling-in arrangements are flexible and supportive for new children, who may have had less experience socialising with others. Staff respond sensitively to new children's emotional needs and offer lots of cuddles and reassurance when needed.

This helps children feel safe and secure.

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

The manager has established a clear curriculum, building on children's previous knowledge and skills. Staff obtain information about children's interests, routines and needs when they join.

They then use this information to plan activities to help to close any gaps in their learning. For example, to ensure children develop a love of stories and books, staff encourage them to borrow books to take home for their parents to read to them.Children have positive attitudes to play and learning.

Younger children take part in group times to practise their listening and speaking skills. Older children eagerly explore what happens when they mix flour and oil. However, on occasions, staff do not recognise the best times to intervene in children's play.

For instance, staff tell children to add more oil to make a less dry mixture or to add more flour to make the mixture more solid. This limits children's ability to think for themselves and solve problems independently.Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding well.

They identify potential areas of need and then use funding effectively to benefit each child it is allocated to. For example, the setting invites external sports coaches to provide weekly sessions of physical exercises for the children. Children with SEND build their core muscles as they jump up high and touch their toes when they dance.

Children who are learning to speak English as an additional language receive the support they need to acquire the English language quickly, as well as continuing to use their home language. From recent training on communication and language, staff use visual cues, sign language and resources, such as 'talking pens', to help children to understand routines and to support their learning.Overall, children behave well.

Staff remind and encourage children to share, take turns and use good manners, such as 'please' and 'thank you'. However, staff do not always help children to understand the impact of their behaviour. For instance, when a child knocks over a toy and its pieces fall all over the floor, they are simply told repeatedly that they 'need to tidy it up' without explaining why.

Partnerships with parents are well established. Parents appreciate the care and education their children receive. They comment that they have very good relationships with the supportive and caring staff.

Staff make every effort to continually build good relationships and open ways of communication to involve parents in their children's development and achievements.The manager has a strong commitment to improving the nursery. She is knowledgeable about the needs of the children in their care and reflects continually on creating an inclusive environment, where every child can thrive.

The manager completes regular supervision and provides training to support staff practice. Staff feel valued and understand their roles and responsibilities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff team have a clear understanding of safeguarding procedures. They know the steps to follow in the event of a concern about the welfare of a child. Staff understand what they should do if they have concerns about the behaviour of the manager or staff.

Leaders provide regular safeguarding training, including comprehensive induction and probationary programmes when staff first start employment. Staff complete checks daily of the inside and outside areas to identify hazards and reduce potential risks.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen staff's teaching skills to help them recognise when to adapt interactions so that children think for themselves and try to solve problems independently develop staff's behaviour management strategies so that children fully understand right and wrong and the impact of their behaviour.