Doves Corner Day Nursery & The Club House

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children feel safe and secure at this calm and welcoming nursery and quickly settle when they arrive.

They know the routines well. Children place their photograph onto the self-registration board as they come in. At snack time, children talk to their friends about different foods they enjoy.

Toddlers settle quickly to sleep at nap time. Children's behaviour is good. They use words such as please and thank you at lunchtime.

Children sit with their friends outside and share pretend food they have made in the mud kitchen. They learn to negotiate and manage challenges with support from the staff. For example, when... there are not enough chairs for everyone to sit, staff help them to think about a solution.

Children develop confidence when taking managed risks. For example, children consider how fast they will travel down the slide as it has been raining. Children are keen to show visitors to the setting the activities that are on offer.

Children take adults by the hand to show them where broad beans and chia seeds are growing.Children have positive attitudes for learning and are always willing to have a go with encouragement from staff. This is because there are high expectations of what children can do.

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

Staff find out about the experiences children have at home and plan to broaden on these. Children take a keen interest in finding out the life cycle of a frog. They explore water beads and pretend they are frogspawn.

Children count how many toy frogs they have on the lily pads. They excitedly show their friends the different colours of frogs they can see and count them together.The manager has a clear understanding of the nursery curriculum.

She knows what she wants children to learn and what children's next steps are. She uses this information to support staff in planning activities for children to suit their needs. Staff continually review the activities on offer for children and change them according to the children's interests.

Staff are very attentive towards children and know them very well. Many relaxed and natural interactions take place during the day and there is a good balance of adult-directed and independent play. Staff talk to the children about what they are learning.

However, sometimes, staff do not fully support children's vocabulary development. Children copy what staff say and do not always use the correct words. For example, at snack time, staff use words such as 'nana' for a banana.

Staff sensitively support children in their play. For example, children show an interest in exploring puddles outside. Staff encourage them to put their hands in the water and see how the water moves.

Children smile as they have a go and are praised by staff for being confident to join in. Children use watering cans to pour water onto mud outside so they can jump in muddy puddles. Children work together to add water and laugh as they jump with their friends.

Parents are very positive about the nursery. They say communication is a particular strength. Parents comment that at the end of the day, they are always told what activities their children have taken part in.

Parents feel able to discuss any concerns with the staff. They say that as the staff team is small, all the staff know the children very well as individuals.Children have some opportunities to be independent.

For example, children attempt to wash their hands with guidance from staff. However, opportunities are missed for children to be fully independent. Staff cut up children's snack for them and put their coats on for them.

This means children do not always have the chance to have a go themselves.The manager has a good awareness of how the nursery has developed since registration and what she wants to continue to improve. Staff feel well supported and are able to access training courses of interest to them.

Many conversations take place throughout the day, highlighting positive practice the manager has seen. This means staff know what they do well and how to develop their skills further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding. They know what the signs and symptoms of the different types of abuse are and who to report their concerns to. There are robust procedures in place to record concerns.

All staff receive regular updates to developments in safeguarding at staff meetings. This ensures their knowledge is always kept updated. Staff complete daily risk assessments to check the environment is safe for children.

Most staff hold a paediatric first-aid certificate. Accident forms are completed accurately and signed by parents to ensure they are aware of any accidental injury that has happened at the nursery.

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 understanding of how to speak in ways that develop children's vocabulary provide more opportunities for children to fully develop their independence skills.