Merryvale Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, secure and safe in this nursery. They settle well with the support of their key person. They laugh and enjoy their time at the nursery.

Children have nurtured and supportive relationships with the staff. They follow their interests, choose their own resources, and show excitement to learn. Children have ample opportunities to be physically active.

Older children run, jump and climb in the garden and learn to move in different ways. They share and take turns to throw and catch balls and when digging natural materials to make mud pies. Babies begin to pull themselves up, cruise and walk.

They... explore new textures, using one-handed tools, such as trowels and spoons, while discovering soil and other natural resources. Children have access to a range of experiences they may not receive at home. For example, staff provide them with opportunities to travel on a bus and train for the first time.

Children plant and grow sunflowers. Later on, children dig up the sunflower and explore the different parts of the plant. They learn about growth and learn new vocabulary, such as 'stem', 'petals' and 'seeds'.

They replant the seeds to watch sunflowers grow again. This helps children to learn about life cycles.

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

Leadership and management have improved the support staff receive in regard to professional development.

Managers observe the quality of education and support staff with training and a buddy system to consistently improve their practice. The quality of education delivered by staff is now good. This means that children receive beneficial learning across all seven areas of the early years foundation stage.

Leaders have now implemented an ambitious and coherent curriculum. Staff understand how to follow children's interests, to engage children in their play and work towards their next steps. Staff plan and tailor activities to meet children's individual needs.

Children make consistently good progress.Staff support children well and follow their interests. Staff extend children's interest in shops to help them to learn about the world around them.

For example, they take a trip to their local supermarket to buy fruit and vegetables. They use the fruit and vegetables they have bought to make 'pizzas' in role play. Toddlers learn to use knives independently to chop peppers and tomatoes to imprint them in play dough.

Children develop an understanding of growth and independence during role play with baby dolls. They enjoy dressing the dolls and changing their nappies. Children become confident in their self-care.

They are independent and develop the skills they need in readiness for school. Babies choose songs they want to sing and engage in singing with staff. They begin repeating single words, gesturing and joining in with the actions.

Leaders have improved the support that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive. They ensure that children with SEND are referred to outside agencies for additional support in a timely manner. Staff have a secure knowledge of how to precisely sequence the learning and tailor the support that individual children need.

Children with SEND make strong progress, especially in regard to their communication and language, physical development, and personal, social and emotional development.Children explore their natural environment. They find worms in the garden and show their friends what they have discovered.

Older children discuss how many worms they have found and what other insects they might find. They take turns to hold the worm, and they learn how to care for the insects they find. Children are mostly engaged.

However, on occasion, the staff are not organised enough at transition times, which means that children are waiting unnecessarily and sometimes become disengaged.Parents are ecstatic with the high-quality care their children receive. They believe their children to be safe, happy and secure.

Children enjoy coming to the nursery and progress well. Parents of children with SEND are pleased with the improvements the nursery has made to further support their children's learning. Staff share some information with parents about the activities that their child enjoys and their care needs.

However, staff do not routinely provide parents with all of the information they need so that they can further support learning at home.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open safeguarding culture in this nursery.

Leaders and staff know the signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm. They understand to be vigilant to a range of child protection matters and local concerns. They understand local procedures on how to refer a child of concern.

Staff are mindful to risk assess the environment and ensure that children's safety is a high priority. All staff have paediatric first-aid training and understand the action to take in case of a medical emergency.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nextend parent partnership working to provide parents with all the information they need to support their child's learning at home nenhance the organisation of daily routines to maximise learning throughout the day and further promote children's engagement.