Priesthills Nursery Nutts Lane

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive at the nursery happy and demonstrate that they feel safe and secure as they quickly start to explore the resources available. They thrive in the carefully planned environments. Children show good levels of curiosity.

They lead their own play and make choices from the accessible resources. Children become engaged in their play and enjoy the skilful interactions of staff. For example, toddlers spend a good amount of time making 'potions and lotions' alongside staff.

Children show their excitement as they move closer to observe the staff member who shows them how to make a new 'potion'. Children demonstrat...e good behaviour. This is appropriately supported by the well-qualified staff team.

Children share, take turns and play harmoniously together.Children have fun in the available outdoor space. They experience nature first hand, for example they look for birds while in the woodland area.

Pre-school children hear a bird and then identify it as a robin as they see it in the tree. They laugh and giggle as they talk about how the robin wants to eat the worms they have found. Staff show their high expectations of children as they encourage them to be confident and resilient learners.

Children take calculated risks as they build their own structures from planks of wood and logs, to balance on.

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

Leaders and managers have thorough recruitment and induction processes. Staff speak very highly of this procedure.

Leaders and managers select an employee of the month and of the year. Staff comment that this makes them feel part of the team, valued and well thought about. Day-to-day discussions, staff meetings and regular supervisions also help to keep them motivated.

Staff say that they enjoy working at the nursery.The key-person system is very well implemented. Children have strong emotional attachments with all staff, not only their key person.

This contributes to them feeling settled and secure.Children have the opportunity to play and learn outdoors in all weathers. Even very young children can choose to play inside or outside.

Staff help children to learn about nature and animals. Children enjoy helping to care for the pet rabbits and guinea pigs in the nursery. Additionally, they occasionally take the animals home during holidays, such as Christmas, to look after them.

This helps children who do not have pets at home learn how to care and look after animals.Staff create an environment that encourages and supports children to follow their own interests and fascinations. Consequently, children are not afraid to have a go and do things for themselves.

Managers are highly qualified and extremely ambitious. They are committed to providing high-quality care and education for children. Managers support staff to improve their skills and knowledge of how children learn.

They implement new initiatives, such as a new planning system and groups to enhance children's social skills, communication and language development. These help staff to enhance the quality and delivery of the curriculum. However, managers do not yet focus sharply enough on evaluating the impact that these have on children's progress.

Children enjoy making marks from an early age. Toddlers develop early literacy skills as they use various sensory materials and brushes to make marks on their paper. For example, they particularly enjoying using the coloured shaving foam and watching the different shapes appear as they swirl the mixture around with their finger.

Staff working with babies are very experienced. They are sensitive and ensure babies' needs are met promptly. Babies have plenty of space to enhance their physical development and quickly gain confidence to explore the exciting environment.

They enjoy hiding under the cots in the 'sensory dens' that staff have made.Parents speak highly of the nursery and especially value sharing information with staff about their child's learning. Parents comment that they feel fully involved in their child's learning.

Staff support children's communication and language development well. They repeat, model and extend children's vocabulary. Staff often break out into song and demonstrate action songs to children.

Children articulate themselves well and are confident communicators.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The nursery is safe and secure.

Management has robust procedures in place to help children stay safe while at the nursery. Fingerprint recognition and key codes on internal doors ensure strangers are unable to gain access to the building. Staff have a good understanding of their responsibility to keep children safe.

They keep their knowledge and skills up to date through regular safeguarding training. Staff are confident in recognising and reporting any signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm or neglect.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the impact that new initiatives have on the quality of the curriculum and children's progress.