Royston Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children's care needs are well met and they build close relationships with kind and caring staff. Children new to the nursery settle well and babies show that they feel safe and secure as they gently fall asleep in staff's arms.

Children arrive happy and ready to play. However, children are not receiving the quality of education that they deserve. There are inconsistencies in children's learning experiences as there is no clear curriculum in place for the nursery that guides and supports children's development.

Children do not always receive appropriate challenge in their learning as some activities lack purpose and staff... are not ambitious about what children can achieve.Children hear stories and sing songs and staff understand the benefits of this in developing children's communication and language. However, children are not immersed in a language-rich environment as some staff do not help children to consistently build their vocabulary as they play.

Children are physically active and enjoy spending time outdoors. Young children demonstrate good balance and coordination as they kick a ball and climb steps to the slide. There are daily opportunities for children to investigate different textures and materials, such as sand, water, paints and foam.

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

Leaders have not established a clear curriculum to inform staff of what they intend children to learn. Staff tend to focus on developing activities that reflect children's interests and do not have a clear plan of what children need to learn next. Staff place too much reliance on published guidance to determine children's next steps in learning, rather than use their own assessment of what children are doing and what they need to do to make good progress.

As there is no clear curriculum in place, staff use what they know about typical child development to plan children's next steps in learning. Each key person is responsible for planning for their individual key children but with variations in staff skills and knowledge, and without an embedded curriculum, there is little consistency to ensure that all children are supported well in their learning.The quality of teaching is variable.

Some staff do not demonstrate enough ambition to help children build good communication and language skills. When talking to children, the language used is sometimes quite simple and staff tend to ask closed questions. This does not help to extend children's learning across all seven areas of development.

Leaders have recognised the weaknesses in staff practice, and staff do receive supervision meetings. However, current systems are not robust enough to coach and support staff in their professional development and monitor the quality of teaching to ensure that it is effective for all children.The nursery has clear systems in place to recognise and meet the needs of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

They work closely with parents and other professionals to find out about children's care needs, personalities and specific development targets.Staff help children learn to share and take turns in play. They gently explain why it is not kind to take things from their friends.

Staff play a range of games that help children to practise sharing and build peer relationships.Staff build very positive relationships with parents. They share daily communication about their child's time in the nursery.

Parents share that they feel their children are happy, well cared for and their needs are met. However, where children attend other childcare settings, staff have not established effective links with other professionals to provide children with continuity and consistency in their learning and development.Staff help children to develop good hygiene practices and independence in their self-care.

Children show an understanding of why they need to wash their hands and clean their teeth. They know that eating with dirty hands might make them poorly. At mealtimes, older children serve themselves food and pour their own drink in preparation for school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard children in their care. They demonstrate that they understand the nursery's procedures for reporting any concerns they may have about children and adults.

Staff are regularly trained in child protection. Safeguarding is a high priority in the nursery and regularly discussed in staff meetings and supervisions. Recruitment is robust and appropriate procedures are in place to check the suitability of adults working with children.

An ongoing process of risk assessments ensures the premises and equipment are safe and suitable.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date develop an ambitious curriculum to ensure that it clearly identifies what it is that all children need to learn, how this reflects their individual needs and offers appropriate challenge, to help them make at least good progress 27/11/2023 provide effective support, coaching and training to all staff to enable them to improve their practice and to ensure that they offer quality learning and development experiences for children 27/11/2023 ensure that children have rich opportunities to develop their communication and language skills so that the development of their spoken language firmly underpins all seven areas of learning.27/11/2023 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: build a two-way flow of information with other settings to provide children with continuity and consistency in their learning and development.