Ladybird Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement All children demonstrate an eagerness to play and explore.

Babies develop their physical skills as they learn to climb the age-appropriate equipment. Staff encourage children to use the equipment safely, reminding babies to go down the slide the right way. Babies show curiosity as they press toy animals into the sand and observe the patterns they make.

This helps them to develop an understanding of cause and effect. Older children are keen to join in when staff introduce a new activity to them. Staff explain the activity clearly to children.

Children listen attentively to the instructions and demonstrate their un...derstanding by following them correctly. They work in pairs as they take on the role of detectives to find hidden shapes in the classroom. Staff speak to children during the activity to assess and strengthen children's understanding of mathematical concepts.

This supports children to extend their knowledge and work cooperatively with each other.Leaders do not ensure that the minimum qualification requirements for staff are met. Children are not always cared for by enough skilled staff who hold appropriate childcare qualifications.

On occasion, they are also cared for by temporary staff who do not know them well. However, leaders and staff minimise the impact of these issues on children's learning by planning the curriculum carefully and paying close attention to meeting children's individual needs.

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

Leaders have breached the requirements to maintain the correct qualification ratios.

However, they strive to improve the service they provides for families. Parents and staff recognise the many positive changes that the new manager has made since he started working at the nursery.Staff demonstrate good knowledge of their key children and how to support them in their progress.

Staff observe and engage with children in order to establish what they need to learn next. For instance, staff organise an activity for children to throw coloured bean bags into a hoop. Staff ask children to name the colours that they know.

When children do not know the colour, staff tell them and then encourage children to repeat it back. This supports children to develop their physical skills and their knowledge of colours.Staff remind children to wash their hands before they eat.

However, they do not consistently follow good hygiene routines. For instance, when children drop their dummies on the floor, staff give children their dummies back without cleaning them first. This increases the risk of cross-contamination.

This does not promote children's health or meet their personal self-care needs.Staff implement strategies to enable children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to express their needs. Staff encourage them to use single words with simple hand gestures.

This provides children with SEND with the tools they need to communicate effectively. Additionally, staff support children who speak English as an additional language to develop their understanding. For example, staff speak clearly to them on a one-to-one basis to ensure they understand.

Leaders are conscious of staff well-being and implement methods to value their hard work. For instance, leaders have a well-being basket in the staff room, where staff can help themselves to treats. All staff enjoy working at the nursery and feel well supported by leaders.

Staff are comfortable approaching leaders if they need help or advice to improve their practice. This helps staff to develop the quality of their teaching.Parents feel reassured by the huge improvements that leaders have made in recent months, and they are extremely happy with the nursery.

They say that their children enjoy going in everyday and have developed secure bonds with staff. Parents recognise that the leadership of the nursery is now more effective than it was previously and communication is much better. Leaders are also working on further improvements.

For example, they are aware that some parents would like more ideas about how to support their child's learning at home. This shows that leaders are conscious of how to further improve their provision, in order to continue to support children in their overall development.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good understanding of different safeguarding issues. They know the signs and symptoms of abuse and how to escalate any concerns they may have about children or staff. All staff feel confident discussing any concerns with leaders.

Leaders ensure they have regular supervision sessions with all staff. Leaders have placed safeguarding boards in each of the rooms so staff can access the information they need to safeguard children. Staff complete effective risk assessments of the premises, resources, activities and outings to reduce risks to children.

Staff regularly do headcounts of the children when they move between the garden and indoor spaces. This helps to keep children safe.

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 that the staff qualification ratios are met and maintained.

19/05/2023 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen staff's understanding of hygiene practice to ensure children's good health is consistently promoted to the highest level