Happy Days Nursery & Pre-School Weston-Super-Mare

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are interested and excited to learn in an inviting environment. The curriculum is well designed to provide children with a broad range of experiences. Toddlers thoroughly enjoy sharing books together, gaining good listening and attention skills.

Staff engage children well helping them to predict what might happen and to recall what they know about farm animals. Older children thoroughly enjoy group activities such as, 'silly soup', helping them to learn rhyming strings. Staff encourage turn taking and as each child picks an object, such as a tiger, they have time to share their knowledge.

Younger children, inc...luding those who need additional support, use their imaginations well. They thoroughly enjoy climbing in and out of a large cardboard box pretending it is a train. Staff provide a commentary as they visit the 'park' and make train noises for children to copy, helping children to hear new vocabulary and sounds.

Children excitedly clap their hands as staff push them around in the box and begin to understand that they need to take turns.Children thoroughly enjoy their outdoor play, gaining good physical strength. Older children use resources well to create a balancing area together with planks and tyres.

Young children persevere with tasks, such as crossing the balance beams, and know when to ask for help from a familiar adult who is observing close by. Children confidently lead their play. For example, they bury toy dinosaurs and bones in the sand, which leads to discussions about the beach, helping children to connect experiences.

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

The management team have a good overview of the nursery and strive to improve the quality of the provision. For example, lead staff effectively monitor the use of activity cards to help staff deliver the curriculum and guide their teaching. There are regular opportunities for staff to develop their professional skills through training, supervision meetings and professional discussions.

There is a well understood and implemented curriculum. This helps children to make good progress in all areas of their learning in readiness to start school. Staff build on what children know and can do.

For example, children learn new skills through the 'Let's Cook' programme. For example, children enjoy manipulating the biscuit dough with their hands and using a range of tools to cut it into the shape. Children rehearse and repeat these skills throughout their chosen play, such as in the mud kitchen.

This builds children's confidence and competence.Children excitedly join a group activity, making choices about their learning. They develop good small muscle skills as they thread circular cereal to make a bracelet.

They persevere with the task and show pride in their achievements. The positive interactions from staff help to introduce new vocabulary, such as 'twist' and 'pipe cleaner', and they model the actions well to help children's understanding. However, staff do not always give children time to think and respond to questions before providing them with a solution, such as how to make the bracelet longer.

Staff use their training, such as 'babbling babies', to support children's communication and language skills well, overall, including those with English as an additional language. Older babies join in with familiar songs in a regular activity, 'sing and sign'. Staff model the signs and introduce new vocabulary.

Some children sway in time to the rhythm, while others join in with some of the signs. However, staff do not always ensure that they minimise distractions and noise levels to focus children's attention consistently.Children behave well and receive effective support from staff to manage their emotions and to understand behavioural expectations.

For example, when children climb on a low unit, staff provide clear instructions and explanations to help them understand the potential risk. Staff are quick to respond to avoid injury and use children's interests to distract them and re-engage them in safe activities.There is good support for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), key person and parents share information to create effective plans to target support to help reduce potential gaps in children's learning. Staff work closely with other professionals to secure effective support and funding to prepare children for transition to school.Children form strong bonds with familiar people who show them kindness and affection, for instance offering them reassurance, cuddles and praise.

Staff gather essential information from parents and carers to meet children's individual care needs successfully. Staff implement effective practices to ensure they consistently meet children's, especially the youngest children's, dietary, toileting and sleep requirements. Staff are highly respectful towards babies and young children for example, asking permission before changing nappies or helping them into their all-weather suits.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the organisation of group activities to enable young children to fully participate without distraction provide children with time to respond to questions, to think of solutions and to voice their ideas based on their previous learning.