Deedee’s

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The managers keep the risks associated with COVID-19 under review and have processes in place to help keep children safe.

At the present time, parents are not coming into the nursery. Their children are greeted at the nursery door by one of the caring staff team. Parents receive information on what their children are doing through, discussions with the staff, the online information system and parent noticeboards.

Staff use children's interests as a starting point for many activities which support the next steps in children's learning. Staff's enthusiastic delivery of the curriculum captures children's attention and enc...ourages them to confidently take part. In group activities, children cooperate and concentrate well.

They enjoy recalling the words of a story. Toddlers huff and puff and think about which of the little pigs' houses may fall down. Pre-school children enjoy finishing rhyming sentences and searching the room for objects that match the colour of the characters in the books.

Children are also developing really good physical skills. Toddlers carefully stack bricks to make impressive towers. Children have a genuinely warm bond with the staff in their group rooms.

They are able to use a range of dedicated play spaces, such as a sensory room and the large hall, in addition to their group room. The sensory room provides a space for small groups of children to quietly concentrate on specific topics. Being in the hall helps children get ready for a school-style dining experience at lunchtimes.

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

The managers are passionate about providing a high-quality nursery experience. Parents recognise this, saying the nursery is 'like a family, very welcoming….it's all about the children'.

Staff are also enthusiastic and committed to their work and feel well supported by the managers. Training for formal qualifications and short courses, deepens staff's understanding and builds their confidence.The manager and staff have a shared vision of what the children in each group room need to learn.

They recognise that some children will have had limited opportunities to be physically active, to play cooperatively with other children and to develop their communication skills over the last 18 months. Staff organise activities which help children develop these skills. The mathematical curriculum is also taught very well across the nursery.

Staff regularly assess children's development to monitor their progress and the effectiveness of the curriculum.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have tailored support to help them to make progress. This is a particular strength of the setting.

The managers and staff identify children with SEND through their assessments. They work with parents and other professionals to ensure a suitable curriculum is put in place. Staff are on hand to work with parents, who are making choices about the next stage in their child's education.

Where formal plans are needed, these are completed in time for children to move on to the next stage in their learning with the correct level of support.The children are very well behaved. The staff help them learn to be kind to their friends and work together at tasks in small groups.

Nursery rules are simple, effective and well understood by the children. Group times are positive, well-ordered learning experiences which are a good preparation for school.Children are encouraged to be independent.

They learn to put their own coats and shoes on, and toddlers learn to climb the stairs to their group room. Children serve themselves at lunchtime and develop their ability to use cutlery. Good oral hygiene is also encouraged, and children begin to understand the importance of regularly cleaning their teeth.

Some pre-school children have a very good understanding of why they need to wash their hands. They know they need to wash the germs away. However, other children are less successful in wiping their own noses or cough without realising they need to cover their mouth.

Staff do not always intervene to explain why it is important for them to cover their mouth when they cough, or to wash their hands after wiping their own nose.The outside learning environments have been fully redesigned since the last inspection. Staff successfully use the outside play spaces to cover all areas of the curriculum and replicate many activities found inside.

For example, children enjoy role play and building activities. They learn to take small risks safely and develop their balancing skills on the swings and balancing beams, or safely enjoy seasonal events, such as a bonfire party.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and staff have a very clear understanding of their individual responsibility to keep children safe and understand what would constitute a safeguarding concern. They readily work as part of a multidisciplinary team to protect children and support the whole family. Staff are reminded of the importance of keeping information confidential.

Food hygiene and first-aid training are completed by all staff. This supports their understanding of how to keep children safe and what to do in an emergency.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: make the most of opportunities to strengthen all children's understanding of how to keep themselves and others healthy.