Holyrood Day Nursery Prestwich

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The curriculum is not embedded consistently throughout the nursery. For example, managers and staff recognise that some children need a little support to help them to develop their communication and language skills. However, they do not implement the curriculum well enough to help children catch up.

As a result, some children do not develop their communication and language skills as well as they could. At other times, the curriculum is not planned well enough, which results in some children becoming disengaged and restless. This in turn does not help children to develop a consistently positive attitude to learning.

This m...eans the quality of education is not currently good enough. Managers and staff understand the importance of keeping children safe. They have addressed previous breaches by overhauling their policies to ensure that children are in sight or hearing at all times.

This works very well in practice. For example, leaders ensure staff are effectively deployed, which means children are supervised at all times. Staff interact well with children and give them lots of attention, which helps children to feel settled and contented.

However, occasionally, staff do not follow the nursery's procedures well enough. When babies tumble and hurt themselves, staff give them cuddles. However, they do not follow the nursery's procedures by applying a cold compress and recording the information.

This does not fully assure children's care and health needs.

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

The newly appointed manager is committed and eager to make improvements. She has worked closely with leaders and staff to help secure improvements.

For example, they have recently introduced a new curriculum that sets out what they want children to learn and achieve. Although they are moving in the right direction, more work is needed to give children the best start in their early education.Books are a priority at the nursery, which helps children to experience the joy of reading from a very young age.

For example, babies explore tactile books, board books and snuggle with staff as they share stories together. Babies also explore home-made books that include photos of their family members. This helps them to make connections with home as they begin to understand their own life story.

Leaders and managers have prioritised children's safety and welfare. Following a recent incident where a child was left unsupervised during a practice fire drill, leaders and managers tightened their procedures. Staff now do headcounts and check the register to ensure all children are accounted for.

However, staff are not fully aware of other policies and procedures. For example, an internal gate is not securely locked, and accident procedures are not consistently followed. This hinders the effective management of children's health and well-being.

A strength of the nursery is how the warmth permeates throughout. Children are extremely settled and thoroughly enjoy their time with the caring staff team. Staff have also created 'calming rooms' that provide children with a quiet place to relax.

This works particularly well for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, they have their own basket of toys that they can play with without any distractions. These rooms also give children time to self-regulate their behaviour.

Sometimes, children's learning is interrupted due to lack of curriculum planning and poor transitions. For example, as pre-school children come in from outdoor play, the routine is a little disorganised. As staff try to engage children in activities, such as story time, children are easily distracted, lose interest and become disengaged.

Despite staff being trained to screen children's communication and language skills, they do not use knowledge from training well enough. For example, some children who may need additional support are not assessed. As a result, they do not benefit from targeted activities or support to help them develop strong knowledge in their communication and language skills.

Children make good progress in their early mathematical development. Toddlers start to count with their fingers as they sing songs, such as 'Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed'. As children reach pre-school, they count in sequence.

Some children are also able to recognise three dots on the dominoes without counting them. These meaningful learning experiences give children the confidence to count.Children's independence is promoted well throughout the nursery.

For example, toddlers enjoy cutting play dough using knives and forks. This helps them to develop their techniques and master the tricky skill of feeding themselves at lunchtime.

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 meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure all staff understand and implement the nursery's policies and procedures, to help promote children's health and well-being.19/03/2024 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to assess children's communication and language skills more effectively, so they can provide timely support to help children catch up provide a consistently sequenced curriculum that motivates children to learn new skills and remain focused in their learning.