Harrow Road Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive excitedly at this setting, where they receive a warm welcome from staff.

The key-person system works well to support children and their families. This ensures children feel safe and secure, ready to learn. Children's communication and language is developed through effective and ambitious teaching.

For example, pre-school children learn about the formation of clouds and are introduced to words such as 'cumulus' and 'stratus', which some children are able to recall. They extend their learning by creating their own clouds using water, foam and food dye and delight in their creations. Children's physical de...velopment is promoted in a variety of ways.

Toddlers display joy as they run with their peers and staff outside. Babies climb on low-level equipment, building up their core muscles. Pre-school children climb and jump on outdoor equipment to support their gross motor skills.

The manager has high expectations for her staff and the curriculum that is delivered. Children have access to good-quality teaching and make good progress. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are individually planned for so they can reach their full potential.

As a result of effective planning, children behave well and have a good attitude to learning.

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

The manager and leadership team have worked tirelessly to evaluate and improve the nursery procedures. The manager ensures staff access and attend a range of training opportunities to improve their practice and knowledge.

This builds on staff members' strengths and supports building confidence in a skilled workforce. The manager uses regular supervision to check staff well-being, which staff appreciate and value.Activities are thoughtfully set out to create curiosity and wonder.

For example, pre-school children dig for dinosaur bones using a magnifying glass and small rakes. Staff encourage children to count the bones as they make each new discovery. Staff teach children the names of each type of dinosaur to extend their learning.

Staff promote children's communication and language through a variety of ways. Babies and toddlers have stories read to them and sing along to nursery rhymes. Makaton signing is used throughout the nursery to support children who speak English as an additional language to support their understanding.

Books and literacy are accessible and encouraged in every room to engage children in a love of stories and reading.The nursery has a strong focus on sustainability and the environment around them. Toddlers and pre-school children learn the importance of reusing materials and resources and how to recycle items every week in the nursery.

This gives children an understanding of the world and a sense of responsibility.Parents speak highly of the nursery and appreciate the regular updates they receive on their child's development.The nursery's special educational needs coordinator and the manager work with a wide range of professionals to ensure children with SEND receive early intervention and progress well in their development.

While waiting for health referrals, the nursery has regular and effective intervention groups to support children in areas such as listening, attention and communication.Children learn about good health practices. They wash their hands before mealtimes and are provided with well-balanced meals and snacks, which are prepared by the nursery chef.

Dietary needs are considered. In addition, children learn how to keep their teeth clean and information is available for families through parent learning bags in the reception area.During mealtimes, toddlers and older children are chosen each day to support the setting up of plates and cutlery for lunch.

This gives children responsibilities and builds their confidence and independence. Children's independence is also built through the encouragement of putting clothing off and on, serving their own meals and accessing water during the day when they are thirsty.Children learn about the community.

They learn about difference and acceptance by acknowledging festivals and having parents and carers attend nursery to read books in their home language. This gives children a sense of belonging. However, staff have not thought enough about how the environment fully reflects cultures on an everyday basis.

This does not ensure children are always exposed to the wider world within nursery.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager ensures safeguarding in this nursery is effective.

Through safeguarding training, staff recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse. This keeps children safe from harm. Where necessary, staff know the procedures on how to report concerns.

Where allegations are made against a member of staff, the nursery knows who to contact within the local authority. The manager ensures that safe recruitment is followed, and regular ongoing suitability checks are in place so that staff remain suitable to work with children. This keeps children protected.

Staff have a good knowledge of the 'Prevent' duty, female genital mutilation and exposure to extremist views. They understand their safeguarding duty and who to report their concerns to.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen curriculum planning to fully reflect all faiths, religions and cultures within the nursery to support teaching of the wider world on an everyday basis.