Highbury Nursery & Day Care

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

The setting has a uniqueness in regard to its close connection as part of Highbury School. The core values of the setting are encouraged throughout.

Children are valued as individuals and have their emotional needs met well. Some have only recently started at the setting and are already demonstrating a sense of belonging. For example, children comfortably explore the learning environment and are motivated to share these moments with practitioners.

Practitioners have high expectations for all children. Their encouraging attitudes nurture children and allow them to feel safe. Children behave well and show pleasure in bei...ng around others.

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

Leaders and practitioners together have formed an ambitious learning-rich environment. The strong focus on communication and language is evident through practice and how the environment is designed. Practitioners model language well, which encourages the youngest children to develop their vocabulary and recognise familiar sounds.

For example, children learn the word 'bubbles' as they excitedly explore bubble wands. Practitioners are quick to identify further learning opportunities for children, such as introducing number names as children build with blocks. They identify and put support in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

This promotes the inclusive learning environment where all children have equal opportunities to progress. Practitioners have a good understanding of the areas they teach and how their children choose to learn. For example, they successfully adapt their planned activities to suit children's emerging interests.

This flexible approach encourages children to make choices in their learning and progress well in their development. However, a system for exchanging children's interests and development between key people is not yet embedded. This is most impactful when children change key people.

Children are curious learners. They show enjoyment as they figure things out for themselves, such as when they put their painted hands on a mirror. They spend a considerable amount of time repeating this to understand why the paint stays on the mirror.

Children have the freedom to explore in a caring and nurturing space. This promotes children to find their own learning experiences. Children behave well and show kindness to one another.

Children form good attachments to their key people. On occasions, children arrive at the setting hesitant to leave their parents. Practitioners manage this well with their sensitive and supportive approach, resulting in children settling quickly.

Practitioners are quick to spot when children need assistance and show pleasure in encouraging their independence. For example, they provide tissues for children who need to blow their nose. Practitioners form good professional relationships with parents, which supports children's all-round learning and development.

The newly appointed headteacher and the manager of the setting share an ambitious vision. Together with the staff team they pull their knowledge and experience of children to create core values. Respect is shown to all in the setting and promoted well.

However, on occasions practitioners do not communicate choices to the youngest children effectively when their personal hygiene needs are carried out. Leaders act with integrity through all that they do. This supports the needs of all children and their families.

They have rigorous systems in place for performance management. This has proven successful in developing practitioners' knowledge and understanding, such as around effective communication.During conversations with parents, they feedback to practitioners that their children have settled well into the setting.

They appreciate the regular feedback from practitioners and comment that this helps them keep track of their children's personal care needs and learning and development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The headteacher and manager work closely with the staff team to develop their awareness and understanding of safeguarding.

They are both confident within their roles and responsibilities in regard to child protection and children's welfare. They have previous experience in making referrals to outside agencies and working with the local authority should there be an allegation against a member of staff. They keep robust documentation of concerns and referrals on an online system.

Practitioners know signs and indicators of abuse, including how to report welfare concerns. They understand the procedures to follow should they choose to escalate a concern to an outside agency in relation to children's welfare.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen systems for communication between practitioners so children's interests and development are known and these can inform future teaching, particularly when changing key person further embed the culture of support by enabling the children to have choices during their personal care.

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