Parklands Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children do not consistently make good progress across their learning in this nursery.

At times, children do not learn the new knowledge, including new words, that they need. This is because leaders have not thought carefully about what key information they want staff to teach the children. Despite the weaknesses, children are happy and have many friends at this nursery.

They keenly explore resources in the playrooms. Children feel safe with the gentle staff, who care for them well. They enjoy taking part in different activities.

For example, two-year-olds relish the feeling of wheeling tricycles down slopes outd...oors, encouraged by the staff. Other children enjoy exploring paints, water and sand that staff provide. Through these activities, the children learn how to use their bodies in different ways.

Leaders do not help staff to think carefully about the quality of the interactions they have with children. This means that children do not always learn to explain their ideas and understanding well. Staff allow babies to use dummies for prolonged periods.

This has an impact on children's opportunities to practise their emerging speech. Mostly, children behave well in this setting. However, sometimes they lose focus and concentration when leaders and staff provide less well-considered learning experiences.

Children learn about the natural environment. This is because leaders are determined that children learn about the rural locality of the nursery. For instance, when staff take children on local walks, they observe and talk together about the cows and sheep in the surrounding fields.

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

Leaders have not identified the core knowledge that they want staff to teach children, for instance in language and literacy. This means that children do not learn all the essential knowledge that they need to know. However, leaders are keen for children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to experience meaningful learning at the nursery.

They understand the steps that they should take to improve the curriculum.Leaders do not make sure that staff think carefully enough about children's needs. For instance, when two-year-olds discover a spider, staff provide activities that are too advanced for the children's development.

Nevertheless, some staff identify children's interests when considering which activities they will provide. Staff are supportive of children's discoveries. Children enjoy their activities.

However, the quality of children's education is variable across this nursery.Staff do not make enough use of storybooks with children. Leaders have not supported staff enough to understand how to enhance children's communication and language.

For example, the interactions between staff and children are at times limited by staff asking too many questions and not giving children enough time to think for themselves. Nevertheless, staff are playful and speak gently to the children. At times, children hear new words, for example when staff describe to them what they are experiencing in the nursery routines.

Children are not always encouraged to develop their independence skills. For example, they do not learn how to complete some simple tasks themselves in preparation for the next stage in their education. Nonetheless, staff organise mealtimes for children well.

Children eat their healthy meals and chat together at the dinner table happily.Leaders ensure that staff feel supported. For example, they provide staff with regular individual discussions about their work with children.

However, leaders do not identify some weaknesses in staff's practice accurately. They do not focus training precisely enough on staff's individual needs. Consequently, staff are unclear how to improve the quality of their work.

Staff are respectful and caring towards children. They are kind and give lots of positive attention to babies. Staff stay close to children as they play on the floor.

Babies develop a sense of trust that their key person will be there to reassure them. Staff are considerate and ask children for their consent before carrying out personal care, such as when wiping children's noses. This helps children to know what to expect and to feel valued as individuals.

Parents said that they have a fruitful and positive relationship with staff. They appreciate the events that leaders provide, such as a picnic for dads and sports day. This helps parents to feel involved in the life of the nursery.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and staff are well trained to understand potential child protection and safeguarding issues. They are knowledgeable about the possible signs that a child may be experiencing neglect or abuse.

Leaders ensure that staff have access to the contact details of safeguarding professionals should they need to alert them to any information. Staff know the importance of accurately recording and reporting any concerns they may have about a child's welfare. Leaders ensure that they follow robust vetting processes and suitability checks when appointing new staff.

These actions help to protect children from harm.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date support staff to undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to ensure they offer children quality learning and development experiences that continually improve.24/08/2023 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the implementation of the curriculum to support all staff to understand the key information to teach children and when nenhance all staff's knowledge and understanding of how children learn language, including through the use of storybooks, to support children to increase their vocabulary support staff to develop children's independence so that children develop their self-confidence and responsibility.