Daubeney Children’s Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children wave goodbye to their parents happily as they are warmly welcomed by friendly staff. Parents and staff develop a strong and supportive relationship which helps children to feel safe and secure.

Children are curious as they explore a wide range of toys and activities. For example, they play together with toy animals in the water tray. They laugh and giggle as heavier animals splash when dropped into the water.

Staff know all the children well. They celebrate their talents and encourage them to follow their own interests. Staff understand that each child is unique.

The management team and staff are very... aware that for some children national lockdowns had an impact on their development and experiences. They have considered this well when planning their teaching. There is a strong focus on children's health and physical development.

Children spend a lot of time outdoors in the fresh air. They develop their physical skills as they climb and balance on soft-play equipment and crawl through tunnels. Children are starting to grow vegetables and learning about different food textures and tastes.

This has a positive impact on children's health and helps build good habits for later in life.

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

In general, staff support children's communication and language development. They introduce new vocabulary such as 'splash' and 'high' as children play with water.

Staff give meaning to children's gestures. However, at times, staff do not promote children's communication and language skills as effectively as possible. For example, staff do not always model language well to ensure that children hear correctly pronounced words.

Staff monitor children's development for gaps in their learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs met very well. Staff tailor children's next steps to those that are ambitious yet achievable for each individual child.

Staff have developed strong partnerships with other services, such as the nursery school.Staff encourage children's independence during mealtimes. Children take pride in having the responsibility to lay out table mats.

They look for their photograph and begin to recognise their name on their mats. Staff role model and teach children to use cutlery independently to feed themselves.Children understand the routines of the day.

This helps to ensure a calm environment and means useful learning time is not lost. For example, children gather quickly and enthusiastically for stories and singing times. Books are accessible to children, and staff promote the use of books and stories throughout the day.

Children sit in small groups and share favourite stories. This helps children develop a love for books and reading.Staff are very respectful of the different cultures and languages children bring with them from home.

They work with children, planning celebrations that reflect children's experiences from home. This helps children develop a positive view of diversity and the similarities and differences between themselves and others.Children behave well.

They respect one another's space as they crowd around the water tray. They are starting to share resources and take turns. Staff remind children of rules, such as using their 'listening ears'.

They provide a soothing approach to children who become frustrated, helping them to calm down and explain what is upsetting them.Leaders place a strong emphasis on promoting staff's well-being. They hold regular supervision sessions and staff meetings.

Leaders offer coaching, support and mentoring to help staff understand their roles and responsibilities. Staff say they are well supported, and leaders always have an 'open door' if they need any support.Parents give high praise to staff for the level of support their children and families receive.

They say it feels like an extended family due to the staff's welcoming and nurturing nature. They are fully confident in the care provided to their children. However, occasionally, staff do not share enough information with parents.

There are times when parents are not always clear about their children's progress.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The management team supports staff to gain an accurate understanding of the signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm.

Staff complete regular training to keep this knowledge up to date. They confidently explain what they would do if they had concerns about a child's welfare or a colleague's conduct. They know how to escalate any concerns if there was a need to do so.

The management team carries out robust checks to ensure the suitability of those employed to work with children. Staff maintain a safe and secure environment, suitable for the care of children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on staff's awareness of modelling language correctly to help children make further progress in their communication and language development nenhance systems for sharing information with parents about their children's learning and development.

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