Spire View Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive keen to start their learning. They show good levels of motivation.

For example, toddlers excitedly talk about their cardboard box fire engine, as they sit inside pretending they are on their way to put out a fire. Older children sort objects by colour, and staff extend the activity by removing different objects and asking children to identify what is missing. Babies enjoy exploring toy dinosaurs hidden in the sand.

Children behave well. They know the boundaries and expectations. Staff remind them of the simple rules, such as using 'kind hands' and 'indoor feet'.

Staff have adapted the curriculu...m since the last inspection and have tailored it to children's individual needs and interests. Staff know the children well and are able to plan for what they need to learn next.Children build strong relationships with their key person and show high levels of independence in all the rooms.

Prior to going outside, children put on their own coats, all-in-one suits and boots. Children learn to respect and value others. Staff obtain keywords in children's home language, sing songs and have displays to support children's heritage.

Staff build positive relationships with parents. Parents come into the rooms to drop the children off and are able to talk to their child's key person about their child's day and progress.

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

The management team has recently changed.

The owner is currently managing the nursery and there is a new deputy. The nursery has made good progress since its last inspection. The provider is actively trying to recruit additional staff.

Nevertheless, the staff work well together as a team and feel supported by management. They have regular review meetings to help them develop their practice. In addition, they have opportunities to attend extra training, such as 'Blossoming Babies', as well as mandatory training, such as safeguarding and first aid.

Consequently, staff keep their knowledge up to date.Staff plan a varied curriculum for all the children and have clear aims for each room to make sure that children are ready to move on to the next stage of their learning. Parents report that staff know their children well and help to prepare older children for moving on to school.

Children have good opportunities to explore their community. For example, they go on walks in the local community where they look at the different animals, birds and plants and learn about the different seasons.The nursery is in the process of renovating the garden.

Nevertheless, children use the space daily. Staff plan activities for the garden. For example, older children act out familiar stories.

Younger children dance around the tree singing nursery rhymes. The children plant vegetables, and, as part of the renovation, they are having new planters to enable children to learn more about where food comes from.Staff use effective teaching methods.

For example, a member of staff in the toddler room tells the children a made-up story and draws pictures on a large sheet of paper as she talks. She talks about the enormous trees and flowers. They then talk about the story and retell some aspects.

Staff extend this further by introducing a planting activity. In the baby room, children thoroughly enjoy bathing their dolls following their interests. Staff extend this by pretending the dolls are poorly and need caring for, introducing the doctor's set.

Older children develop their physical skills as they balance on boards and show increasing control as they move faster around them.Children develop a strong sense of belonging. Older children are encouraged to bring their favourite book or toy in to talk about at circle time and other children can ask them questions.

Younger children's home routines are closely followed to make sure that they are comfortable and at ease. The key-person system is effective, and babies and toddlers build strong bonds with them. For example, babies seek out their familiar adult for cuddles and reassurance.

Staff display children's creative achievements and models that they are particularly proud of.In general, the daily routines support children's learning and well-being. For example, lunchtimes are well managed and children enjoy healthy, nutritious meals.

However, on occasions, when staff group pre-school children together during activities, they lose concentration because the staff do not recognise that the activities go on for too long. Children become restless and are not actively engaged in their learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good understanding of how to safeguard children. They benefit from the local authority safeguarding lead visiting and helping staff to develop their understanding of their role and responsibility. Staff receive training on all aspects of safeguarding, and the manager is proactive in making sure that the designated safeguarding leads have the knowledge to fulfil their roles.

Managers talk about safeguarding at every staff meeting and during staff reviews to make sure that staff are confident to report a concern about a child's welfare. Staff carry out risk assessments for all aspects of the nursery and outings.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the routine group times to make sure that all children are interested and involved, particularly the older children.