Lambkins Day Nursery & Pre-School Centre

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

All children thrive from the moment they arrive at this calm and unique setting. They consistently show that they feel safe as they confidently approach adults who are new to them.

All children develop strong bonds with the caring staff. Staff are exceptionally skilled at using a personalised approach to transition to get to know all children incredibly well. They use this knowledge to adapt their practice and to ensure that all children's personal and emotional needs are consistently met to the highest level.

Children use their highly-developed physical skills as they roam freely around the spacious, outdoor ar...ea. They skilfully balance beanbags onto tennis rackets and catch them after throwing them in the air. They delight in rolling and sliding down hills.

They use all their strength to transport objects in the wheelbarrow. Inside, toddlers excel at being able to use different mark-making tools to draw and write. Staff support babies to practise their new skills of standing and walking.

Children's physical development and overall well-being are extremely well supported.Children's behaviour and attitudes are superb. They understand the rules and high expectations of them and why they are in place.

Children learn to manage risk as they cook bread on a fire. They patiently wait their turn to use hammers and nails to create artwork on tree stumps. Children persevere with this tricky task and proudly show their work to staff.

Children illustrate their high levels of resilience as they work together to get a clear signal on the walkie-talkies. Children demonstrate high levels of respect for each other and for their environment. They treat the resources with care.

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

The manager is passionate about her role and is ambitious for the ongoing development of the setting. She forensically evaluates the provision, asking for the views of staff and parents. Staff make timely changes within the setting to reflect children's developing interests.

The manager is committed to working collaboratively and regularly shares best practice with other settings.Leaders ensure that professional development is fully informed from their own monitoring of staff practice. Leaders work tirelessly to make sure that staff are supported to be able to deliver consistently high-quality teaching.

For example, staff have completed training on 'supporting boys' development'. Leaders have since seen boys make more rapid progress in their learning. Training is focused and has a significant impact on children's progress, the quality of education and staff morale.

Leaders have meticulously designed their curriculum to seamlessly build on what children know and can do in every area of their development. Staff plan ambitious activities that excite children and effectively support their learning. Children work together to create a 'forklift truck' from wooden pallets.

They use their imaginations as they pretend to 'strim' the grass with wooden planks. All children demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning.Staff interactions with children are consistently of a very high quality.

Staff ask questions to check and extend children's understanding. They ignite children's curiosity through interesting discussions. For example, as children start to build houses, they talk about the different types of houses that people live in and whether to build their house out of mud or bricks.

Systems for monitoring and assessing children's progress are highly effective. Staff are exceptionally skilled at identifying emerging gaps in children's learning early on. They recognise the impact that all aspects of a child's life can have on their development and quickly put targeted support in place.

This ensures that any gaps in children's progress are rapidly closed. All children make excellent progress in all areas of learning.Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported.

Leaders are unwavering in their approach to accessing support for children. Liaison with other agencies is timely and appropriate. Additional funding is effectively used to ensure children receive the support they require.

Children with SEND make significant progress from their individual starting points.Staff read to children in a delightfully engaging manner. Children take books home to share with their parents.

They talk about stories they have read and remember the stories with impressive levels of accuracy. Children of all ages learn to love stories and reading.Children are fiercely independent and are taught how to manage their own personal needs from a very young age.

Babies confidently wash their own hands and use cutlery at mealtimes. Toddlers skilfully put on their own all-in-one suits to go outside. Older children carry the equipment they need and seek out the correct tools to fix the things they have built outside.

Children are confident and self-assured.Children learn about the uniqueness of families and different cultures. For example, children take part in an 'Italian day' where they try new foods.

Older children benefit from regular French lessons and remember what they have been taught over time. For example, after learning about the names of colours in French, they say 'your apron is blue, or you could say 'bleu!' Children begin to appreciate our diverse world.Partnerships with parents are well established.

Parents are invited into the nursery to join their children for experiences such as observing birds of prey. Parent's views of the setting are overwhelmingly positive. They say that staff share information and involve parents in every aspect of their children's day and learning.

Parents feel an integral part of their children's learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff and leaders have an exceptional understanding of safeguarding policy and practice.

They understand the indicators of abuse and the procedures to follow if they have a concern about the welfare of a child. Staff and leaders understand how to protect children from radicalisation and extreme views. They understand local and current issues, such as county lines and domestic violence.

Staff complete additional training to deepen their understanding of safeguarding issues. Leaders have thought carefully about how to teach children to keep themselves safe, including when accessing electrical devices. Children confidently talk about how they independently manage risk when playing, and when out in the community.