Little Oaks Day Nursery & Childcare @ Carcroft

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Managers and staff have a very strong focus on ensuring that children are happy and safe. They aim to provide a 'secure base' for children to help them to develop confidence and self-assurance in readiness for learning. Children thrive in the care of highly attentive and nurturing staff.

They know children well, and value the uniqueness of each one of them. This helps children to develop a very positive self-image and to understand and respect one another. Their very good behaviour is supported well by staff, whose expectations are high and consistent.

Children tell visitors, 'It's nice to be nice'.Children are keen to... learn. They enjoy a good range of creative activities, such as colour mixing with rainbow-coloured rice.

However, staff have not considered even more effective ways to respond to children's emerging interests during play. For example, children who show an avid interest in pretend play do not have enough space and resources to support their ideas and fully extend their learning.Parents are overwhelming happy with the services staff provide, which they describe as 'absolutely fantastic'.

They are particularly complimentary about how staff support children at times of change, for example when moving to a new room in the nursery. They describe staff as very caring and say that they know children inside out.

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

Evaluation of practice is robust and includes the views of parents, staff and children.

This leads to effective improvements, such as stronger partnerships with parents. Staff now give them more ideas to extend their children's learning at home.Staff are supported very well, and morale is high.

This contributes to the very positive atmosphere in nursery. Staff are eager to build on their knowledge and experience. For example, they attend training and observe one another to share their strengths.

This helps to enhance the quality of teaching.The key-person system is highly effective and contributes to the detailed plans intended to help children to build on their knowledge and skills. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

Children who speak English as an additional language develop good communication skills in preparation for later learning. However, occasionally, some activities lack a higher level of challenge to help the most able children to learn even more.Children develop good language skills.

Older children learn new words during engaging and exciting story times. Babies copy single words and animal sounds while playing with a farm activity that staff have prepared.Staff use what they know about children to plan appealing experiences that children enjoy.

However, there is scope for them to be even more responsive to children's interests during activities. At times, staff do not support children to fully develop their ideas during play or, occasionally, children lose the interest to participate when opportunities are limited.Partnerships with other professionals contribute to a shared approach to children's care and learning.

This is particularly effective for children with SEND. Teaching is tailored precisely to their individual needs and every small achievement is recognised and celebrated. Children develop high levels of self-esteem and successfully build on their abilities.

Children develop a very good awareness of healthy lifestyles. Staff teach them how to wash their hands thoroughly and to dispose of tissues safely. They provide plenty of opportunities for fresh air and exercise, and closely monitor menus to ensure that children's nutritional needs are met precisely.

There is an effective balance of planned activities and opportunities for children to make choices in their play. Younger children choose from resources that they can access themselves. Older children plan their play during a ring game at the start of each session.

Staff later help children to remember what they have learned, for example by encouraging them to share their day with their friends.Children are supported extremely well to be kind and considerate. They spend time with adults with SEND and older people in the community.

This helps them to understand and appreciate the different needs and experiences of others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Recruitment procedures are robust, and ongoing checks help to ensure that all staff remain suitable for their roles.

Managers keep their knowledge of safeguarding legislation and guidance up to date and share information regularly with staff. This contributes to staff's good knowledge of how to identify children at risk of harm of neglect. They know what to do if they are concerned about a child's welfare.

The nursery environment is safe and secure and is checked regularly to minimise and eliminate any hazards. Staff encourage children to learn how to keep themselves safe and to be confident to speak about things that worry or upset them.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: respond even more swiftly to children's emerging interests to help them to extend their ideas and enhance their learning plan even more precisely to ensure the most able children are consistently challenged to learn even more.

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