Playtime Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Staff provide children with a safe and welcoming environment.

They introduce basic words, such as in Spanish, to teach children about diversity in a positive way. Staff are kind and approachable, which enables them to form close relationships with the children. They read stories and sing nursery songs to strengthen their bonds with them.

It is notable that when staff, particularly those who work in the baby room, sing with the children, they demonstrate high levels of energy and enthusiasm. This has a very positive impact on children's happiness. Children look and copy the actions to the songs they sing, and they shake... their musical bells to show their enjoyment.

Staff plan a curriculum that is supportive of children's learning, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They encourage children to recall and consolidate previous learning. This is demonstrated during a science experiment, which enables children to guess if an item will sink or float.

Children make correct decisions as they place resources, such as a toy whale, into the water. They receive praise from staff for their great efforts, which builds on their self-esteem and confidence. Staff encourage children to wait patiently and take turns.

This helps children to behave well.

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

The manager evaluates the quality of the provision effectively to make ongoing developments. For instance, she has reflected and changed the layout of the learning environments to ensure that children have ample space to move around freely.

This has had a positive impact on children's concentration, particularly children with SEND.As part of their curriculum, staff place great emphasis on promoting children's independence skills. They do this by encouraging children to do age-appropriate tasks.

Young children learn to feed themselves, and older children put on their coats and gloves without needing any help. Children develop skills that are necessary for their future education.Staff observe and assess children's progress accurately.

They set high expectations for all children. This includes children with SEND and children who speak English as an additional language. As a result, children make notable progress, such as in their language skills and behaviour.

At times, staff do not organise some planned activities as well as they could. This prevents them from fully engaging and motivating children to participate. Additionally, staff do not always carefully consider the arrangements for mealtimes.

This results in some children waiting too long and becoming restless.Staff have regard to children's health. They are fully aware of children's individual dietary needs and act on information from parents to protect their children's good health.

Staff ensure that children have plenty of opportunities to play and exercise in the fresh air. Children delight in using the balancing equipment and riding tricycles, which helps to improve their physical skills.Staff organise a wide range of outings for children, which for some are first-hand experiences.

For example, following an outing to the local supermarket, children learn to identify the ingredients that are needed for their pizza toppings. In addition, staff take children to the local woodland and park to teach them about the changes in their surroundings. Children learn about the world around them.

The manager provides staff with good levels of support and coaching. Staff agree that they are encouraged to do well and there are opportunities to gain higher qualifications. Some staff have completed training on 'self-regulation', which has raised their awareness of how to deal with children's behaviour even more positively.

Parents speak highly of staff and the care they offer. They comment on the high-quality communication they receive about their children's learning and development. Parents comment how staff are quick to identify any gaps in their children's learning and put measures in place to seek additional help.

This strong partnership between staff and parents contributes to children achieving good outcomes.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager has robust procedures in place to ensure that only those who are suitable to work with children are employed in the nursery.

She offers staff frequent safeguarding training and asks them questions to keep their knowledge up to date. Staff are aware of the signs that might indicate that a child is at risk of harm. They know the process to follow if they have concerns about a child's welfare.

Staff are deployed well. This enables them to supervise children, inside and outside, which helps to keep children safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nincrease support for staff to help organise planned activities and the daily routines more effectively, particularly at mealtimes.