Little Folks Day Nursery & Out Of School Clubs

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Leaders have ensured that the required improvements in the arrangements for learning and development have been made. Children are happy and content and, on arrival, they settle in quickly to play with their friends. Children build close relationships with staff, who are kind and nurturing towards them.

This helps children to feel safe and secure in their care. Staff arrange the play environments to enable children to access and engage with resources that interest them. They have opportunities to explore different textures and experiment to see what marks they make.

For example, staff provide children with different col...ours of paint and various tools, such as sponges, brushes and pasta. Children are keen to explore and discuss what happens to the paint when the colours are mixed. Children are motivated and show positive attitudes to learning.

Children behave well. Staff gently remind young children to use their good manners to say please and thank you. The oldest children respond well to the staff's guidance to listen to their peers while they talk.

Children play cooperatively together. For example, they use their imaginations to play at being a doctor or a patient. Children know how to use the pretend tools to check each other's temperatures or give an injection.

Children gain the skills and understanding they need to prepare them for their next stages of learning.

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

The nursery curriculum is ambitious. Staff have clear intentions for what they want all children, including those in need of additional support, to achieve.

Learning is sequenced to enable children to continually build on what they already know and can do. However, there is scope for staff to gain further information from parents when children first start about their prior learning, to enable them to focus their plans for children's learning from the outset.Staff model and promote communication and language exceptionally well throughout the setting.

They have developed their skills to carefully phrase their questions to children so they are enabled to respond with their thoughts and ideas. Staff use a range of familiar songs, stories and rhymes, which supports all children to engage in using their voices. As a result, the oldest children speak confidently in small groups among their peers.

They engage well in discussions, using lots of descriptive words and well-structured sentences.Children develop increasing independence. They learn to manage their personal care needs in using the bathroom and tasks, such as washing their hands correctly.

Younger children are keen to try putting on their coats for themselves and receive support to learn how to fasten them.Children enjoy their time in the outdoor space. They practise and develop their climbing and balancing skills, when they climb up the slide and turn their bodies to slide down again.

They strengthen their hands, wrists and arms while they dig in the sand and use tools to collect the sand into various-sized containers. Other children build tall structures with blocks. They are excited to explain to staff what they have made and what each part of their structure represents.

Staff provide opportunities for children to dress up and learn about different occupations. Children talk confidently about what they would like to work as when they are grown up. They say they want to be a builder, 'to fix things and to build a house'.

Others talk about being a religious leader or a princess doctor. Children have lots of fun as they play together, exploring the resources and accessories. Staff introduce new items, such as a prayer mat, to help extend children's understanding.

Managers ensure that staff receive the support, guidance and training they need to fulfil their duties and responsibilities. Staff report that they receive the time they need to reflect on and discuss their work practice. They say they feel well supported by managers.

Parents comment on how supportive and helpful the staff are and that they teach their children well. They value the information they regularly receive in the online app and from staff on collection. Parents say their children are excited to attend and report that they are happy with the learning progress their children make.

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 further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build on the information gathered from parents when children first start, to gain further details about children's prior learning that will enable staff to focus their plans for children's next learning from the outset.