Ducklings Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children and parents receive a wonderfully warm welcome from staff as they arrive at the nursery. Special video messages sent to children by their key persons during the COVID-19 pandemic have helped children to settle back into nursery life easily.

Children are extremely happy and well cared for by exemplary practitioners. They develop strong independence skills and manage their own personal care needs exceptionally well. For example, children skilfully chop and prepare their own fruit at snack time and pour their own drinks.

They show pride in their nursery environment, tidying up during the day and taking car...e when using resources.Children thrive at this nursery. The carefully considered, bespoke curriculum precisely meets children's individual needs, and as a result all children make exceptional progress from their starting points.

Staff are extremely quick to praise children, and all children's achievements, both small and large, are celebrated. This enables children to develop high levels of confidence and self-esteem. Children's behaviour and attitudes are exemplary.

They have exceptional levels of engagement. Children concentrate deeply, remain on the task and seek challenge in their self-chosen play.

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

Children receive an excellent, language-rich environment as staff actively participate in their play.

There is a buzz of excitement as children confidently chat away to staff and each other. Children's impressive range of vocabulary rapidly expands as they are immersed in new language. For example, they confidently use words such as 'decayed' as they investigate bean pods outside.

Children's development of literacy and their love of books are promoted exceptionally well. Children are delighted when a 'mystery reader' comes to nursery to read a new story. Parents, grandparents and people from the local community share a variety of stories, sometimes in different languages.

This fascinates children, and they learn more about the wider world.Children are encouraged to skilfully recall their previous experiences and learning. For example, they confidently remember and retell complex stories about current political issues in great detail.

Children show great empathy toward the characters in the story and are keen to share their thoughts and feelings.Children have opportunities to learn about, understand and respect the similarities and differences between themselves and other people. Children learn about different features people have, such as those with prosthetic limbs.

They understand and talk about how 'not all disabilities are visible.' Staff have a superb understanding of how to skilfully sequence children's learning. They adapt activities to meet the needs of all children.

For example, crawling babies have access to a sand pit on the floor while 'cruising' toddlers access a sand table as they learn to balance and stand.Children spontaneously use mathematical language in their play. For example, a child uses the word 'huge' when noticing a spider, and staff help others to understand what this means by providing magnifying glasses of different sizes, explaining that the biggest one is 'huge.'

Staff encourage children to show respect and care for living creatures. Intrigued children help to care for Barry, the nursery's giant snail. Furthermore, children have visited the local vets with the nursery manager and her dog.

They have experienced first hand how to care for animals.Staff are highly effective in supporting children's understanding of keeping safe and healthy. Children learn about how their bodies work and comment that they are 'sweating' due to the hot weather.

As a result, children learn about keeping safe in extreme heat and make sensible choices to aid their own good health, such as drinking plenty of water to keep 'hydrated'.During meals, children learn that eating a balanced diet and nutritious food helps them to grow. They identify that calcium is in milk and understand that it is good for healthy bones and teeth.

Children explain that 'too many cakes and sweets will give us cavities.' As a result, children have a detailed understanding of how to maintain healthy teeth.The nursery's knowledgeable and experienced manager provides exceptional leadership and support to her well-qualified team.

Staff continuously reflect on their practice and strive to further their skills and knowledge. This leads to an embedded culture of reflection and continuous improvement. For example, following training in mathematics, maths is now skilfully interwoven through activities for all age groups.

Staff work closely with parents and schools to support transitions. Teachers visit the nursery to meet children, and staff share detailed information regarding children's development. Older siblings have visited the nursery to talk about school life with the children and the positive experiences they have had at school.

Children are exceptionally well prepared to start school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Recruitment and selection procedures are robust and leaders have high expectations of all staff.

All staff, including domestic staff, are highly trained and have an impressive understanding of their role in protecting children. They have excellent knowledge of how to identify potential signs of abuse and the procedures they would use to report any concerns for a child's welfare. Children's well-being and safety are paramount.

Risk assessments are embedded in practice and provide children with a very safe environment to play and learn. Staff teach children about staying safe. For example, children participate in risk assessments and learn how to use resources and equipment safely.