Robjohn Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enjoy their time at this warm and welcoming nursery. They arrive full of excitement and are eager to join in activities with their friends. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure as they explore their environment with enthusiasm.

Children are confident. They talk to visitors and are keen to involve them in their play. Staff have high expectations for all children.

They plan exciting activities to promote learning in all areas of the curriculum, which the children enjoy. For example, children look for signs of spring during a nature walk in the local area. They discuss the colours of the daffodils ...and the crocuses.

Children gasp in awe as they see a squirrel leap from tree to tree. Younger children clap with excitement as they pretend to make pancakes. They mix the flour and water eagerly and giggle as they try to toss the pancake mix in a pan.

Children play cooperatively together and learn to share and take turns. They display a positive attitude towards their learning. For example, children concentrate as they use drainpipes to build a ramp for their cars.

They experiment and learn that the higher the ramp is, the faster the car will travel.

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

The manager and staff demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting each individual child to develop to their full potential. Staff provide good support for children with special educational needs.

They work closely with other professionals and children's families to support children's welfare and development. Staff develop strategies to support children who are bilingual. They skilfully promote the children's home language alongside English.

The manager works with the staff team to evaluate the provision regularly and identify areas for improvement. For instance, they have recently changed the way staff plan for children's next steps in learning. This has had a positive impact on the children's development.

However, the manager does not always seek parental views to support her evaluations and help to drive continuous improvements further.Parents speak very highly of the nursery and praise the friendly and approachable staff. They comment that they would not send their children anywhere else.

Parents value the regular communication regarding their child's development. They appreciate the suggestions of how to follow up their child's learning at home provided by staff in 'activities at home' sheets.Staff are particularly effective at supporting children's language and communication skills.

For example, they carry out regular small-group activities and read to children with enthusiasm and excitement. Staff encourage children to share their favourite books from home with their friends at nursery.Staff use the local community to provide children with new, exciting learning experiences outside of their everyday lives.

They regularly visit the local shops, including the bakers, opticians and post office. Children visit the local library where they listen to stories and choose books to take back to nursery.Staff know the children well and plan exciting activities based around their interests, to promote learning and development.

However, at times, staff interrupt children's learning and engagement to carry out group activities and routines.Children develop an awareness of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they look both ways for cars before they cross the road and hold onto the links of the rope when they go for a walk.

Children are independent and develop good self-care skills. For example, they put on their own coats, hats and gloves before going outside. Children place their artwork in their own cubby hole and collect it at the end of the sessions to show to their parents.

Physical development is well promoted. Children balance on stilts, play football with their friends and negotiate obstacle courses. Staff provide children with a range of healthy drinks and snacks.

Staff act as positive role models and provide consistent boundaries for all children. Children behave well. Staff support children to develop good friendships and children learn how to be caring and considerate to each other.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and the staff have a secure knowledge of the signs and symptoms of abuse and the procedures to follow if they have a concern about a child's welfare. They regularly attend training to ensure their knowledge is kept up to date.

The manager displays safeguarding information to remind everybody of their duty to report concerns, and who to report these to. Staff are vigilant about the security of the setting and are deployed effectively 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: nextend opportunities for parents to provide their views and use them to drive further continuous improvement of the nursery consider the organisation of routines and group times so that they do not interrupt children's learning opportunities.