Daffodils

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children arrive happy and are greeted warmly by friendly staff.

They settle quickly, eager to play with their friends. Children are encouraged to be independent. They go to the toilet independently and share with staff that they have washed their hands.

Babies explore what is put out on the carpet for them, and older children choose which activities they want to do themselves. Children know the routines of the setting well. For instance, when it is lunchtime, the older children wash their hands and line up ready to join their friends downstairs.

Children play well together and learn to make friends. Children are ...polite towards each other and staff, eagerly using 'please' and 'thank you' without prompt. Staff know the children well, and children develop some worthwhile skills.

For example, they use their physical skills as they climb the steps of the slides, race each other in wheeled vehicles and develop their small hand muscles as the use brushes to find hidden shapes in flour. Younger children enjoy copying actions as they sing familiar songs. However, staff are unclear about what children need to learn to make good progress, so they do not shape activities to support children's next steps in learning.

Some intentions for learning are too broad and not focused to secure knowledge of each child's individual needs.

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

Although the manager is new to her post and still in training, she is very passionate. However, she has not fully implemented how she will monitor the curriculum and staff practice.

Therefore, the feedback staff receive about their performance and what children need to learn is not targeted to improve their knowledge and skills further. This leads to weaknesses in teaching.The manager implements a curriculum that supports all children to make progress.

However, although staff interact well with the children, they are not clear on what they want children to learn during activities, particularly during self-chosen activities. For example, children at a water activity are not challenged in their learning.The special educational needs coordinator works closely with outside professionals to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support that they need.

Individual plans are devised and regularly reviewed, with clearly identified targets to help children make good progress. Staff have benefited from training in order to support these children further. Staff also work closely with the parents of children with SEND.

Additional funding is used for extra support for children and to purchase resources to enhance children's interests.A strong focus is placed on children's language development. However, staff do not organise group times as well as they could.

For example, children find it difficult to concentrate during singing or circle time activities due to being in too close to each other and because of the group size. Consequently, children lose interest. This does not build on children's listening and attention skills to support their next stage of learning.

Staff work well as a team, and new staff in particular express how they feel supported by staff. The nursery has a clear induction process for new staff to understand their roles and responsibility. However, the new induction procedure is not fully embedded, meaning newer staff are unsure of their role and some of the policies of the nursery.

Staff provide opportunities for children to learn about early mathematical concepts. For example, older children are encouraged to count their friends and record the number. Baby room staff count with the babies as they climb the steps.

Toddlers enjoy discovering and naming shapes and learning about size as they transfer water form one container to another. Children recall their knowledge of number and quantity in their play.Parents speak highly of the nursery and state that children have formed strong bonds with staff.

They report that their children enjoy attending and are happy and well cared for. Parents feel well informed about their children's development through daily discussions and through weekly updates on what children are learning through the parent group. Parents say that their children have made progress in their learning since starting.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have good knowledge of what to do if they have concerns regarding a child's well-being. They attend regular training to ensure their safeguarding knowledge is kept up to date.

Important safeguarding information is clearly displayed in the setting for staff to access if necessary. Staff understand the procedure to follow should they have concerns regarding a colleague. The manager has a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and knows where to go for further support if necessary.

The owner uses effective systems to recruit staff and to ensure their ongoing suitability. Staff complete regular risk assessments to ensure the environment is safe for children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the monitoring of staff and the implementation of the curriculum so it is tailored to improve staff's practice, so that they can provide all children with consistently good teaching nimprove staff understanding of curriculum intentions to enable them to focus specifically on what children need to learn next, to ensure that all activities and staff interactions challenge children's learning nimprove the organisation of group activities to help all children remain focused and engaged in their learning nimplement the new induction process for new staff to improve their understanding of policies and procedures.