Orchard School Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff have built positive relationships with children and their families. Children arrive at the nursery happy and eager to enter. They say goodbye to their parents, and staff help them to find a peg to safely hang their belongings.

Children continue to be happy, and they laugh frequently. For example, they muddle up a jigsaw, putting the eyes on the chin of a tiger. Staff laugh with children and encourage their humour.

Staff interact with children frequently, which supports them to engage for prolonged periods of time. Children persist in activities and are proud when they achieve what they set out to do. For example,... children draw pictures for their friends, asking how to spell their names.

Staff show them what letters to write, and they successfully copy them, contributing to their early writing skills. When their friends arrive, children show off the picture and how they have written their name. Children develop a sense of self, supported by staff.

Staff ask children their likes and dislikes. Children are confident to share with visitors that they enjoy playtime, specifically the toy dog and the robots.

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

Staff and managers understand child development and plan their environments based on children's next steps and interests.

They identify children who require support to ensure that all children have equal access to the curriculum.Staff set up the environment in a way that allows children to have choices about what they play with. At mealtimes, children are encouraged to have a go at cutting up their food and use forks to feed themselves.

Children are prompted by staff to take themselves to the toilet and offered support if needed. They are reminded to wash their hands. This helps to support children's independence.

Children's knowledge of the world is promoted by staff. Staff provide children with the resources to understand how to grow their own vegetables, including potatoes. Children water them and show the potato bags to visitors.

Outside, staff hand out magnifying glasses and encourage children to learn about and search for insects in the grass and around trees.Children's imagination is developed through staff engagement. When children lay down on the sofa, they pretend to need help from a doctor.

Staff show children how to use different medical equipment. Children use this equipment to pretend to take other children's temperatures and listen to their hearts beating. Staff extend this and ask questions about how children would, for example, help to treat broken bones.

Staff provide children with access to physical experiences. Outside, they set up cars and bikes for children to ride around on. Staff encourage children to throw and kick footballs, and children skilfully kick the ball to one another and to staff.

Staff support children to develop their fine motor skills. Staff provide children with pencils and items to trace over. They encourage children to pick up small items and stick them on paper.

Parents are happy with the childcare provided. They comment on their children working on things here that they know they would not work on anywhere else. For example, their children have started to read at the age of three.

Parents tell the inspector that they have a regular handover, and they know what their children have been doing. Staff also share information about what their children's next steps are and how they can support this at home. This helps to provide consistency in children's learning.

Children are encouraged to try a range of foods, even if they have tried them before. However, staff do not support children to identify and understand how healthy and unhealthy food choices can contribute to a balanced diet.Staff say they feel well supported by managers.

Managers have processes in place to gather staff views, share feedback and allocate training.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff and managers have a good understanding of the signs and symptoms of abuse.

They attend safeguarding training to support their knowledge of local safeguarding concerns, such as domestic violence and families being radicalised. Staff and managers are confident to make a referral to appropriate agencies if required. Staff and managers ensure that the environment is safe for children.

They undertake regular risk assessments of the environment and make adaptations, where necessary, to help promote children's safety. Managers follow a rigorous recruitment process to ensure staff are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to extend their knowledge of how to help children understand how certain food choices can contribute to a balanced diet.