Safari Childcare

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children enter the nursery confidently. They wave goodbye to parents and take the hand of their key person or one of the management team. Staff greet children with a smile and ask how they are.

Many reply 'good', as they wash their hands and make their way to their room to begin their day of fun and learning. Children are very confident. They develop secure independence skills from a very young age.

Children know the nursery rules and routines and enthusiastically join in with songs as they tidy up or line up to go into the garden.Children are keen explorers. They make their own play dough, taking turns to estimate how... much water and flour they each need to add to make just the right consistency.

They smell fresh herbs as they add them and tell staff what they think the herb smells like. To make their dough colourful, they select a range of different coloured paints and stir them in. Children express themselves very effectively through art.

For example, they sit at a table in the garden and draw pictures. They chat confidently to each other about what they have drawn, such as a 'beautiful, talking, smiling flower'.

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

The management team is strong.

Two recently appointed deputy managers work alongside the provider, who at present is also the manager. Between them they have recently reviewed all nursery procedures and working practices. They have paid particular attention to their provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The management team make effective use of additional funding. For example, they use funds to provide more opportunities for children to participate in dance and movement activities. This has been particularly helpful to raise some children's personal, social and emotional skills and help them to express their fears and worries through dance.

Children enjoy writing and drawing. Staff take every opportunity to promote children's literacy skills, for example by introducing mark-making experiences in every area of the nursery. Children write the other children's names on their paper and clipboard.

Children listen intently to stories as staff read to them in both large and small groups. They read the stories in a fun and exciting way, providing lots of opportunities for children to join in at their favourite parts and to re-tell the story in their own words.Parents spoken to during the inspection, generally, talk highly of the nursery staff and management team.

Where issues have been raised, either through a complaint or a general chat with staff, the management team work with the parents to try to resolve the issues.Children have opportunities to participate in planned group activities. Staff facilitate and lead this learning.

On occasions, they do not ensure that there are enough resources available to enable all children to gain the best experience from these activities. This means that some children quickly lose interest.Young babies are settled and confident.

Staff and managers have put in place effective settling-in provides during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic to help children to settle when parents are not able to stay with them. Children's personal needs are met effectively. Staff working with babies follow the individual children's home routines, which include regular nappy changes and sleep times.

Staff use their knowledge of children's interests skilfully to encourage all children to begin their nursery day in a positive way. For example, a selection of fish and underwater creatures live in the entrance foyer to attract the attention of those children who have an interest in fish.The management team supported children and their families when they were not able to attend nursery during the national lockdowns.

For example, they provided parent packs with ideas that they could use at home with their children and gave away free books on world book day. The provider helped where she could financially, for example by introducing complimentary sessions where these were needed and by not raising their fees for that year.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Managers and staff demonstrate a secure understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They recognise the signs and symptoms that might alert them to a child being harmed or mistreated. These include wider safeguarding issues, such as radicalisation.

The provider, who is also the nursery's designated safeguarding lead, is knowledgeable about how and when to report concerns relating to children and staff to the appropriate authorities. New staff undergo a thorough induction, which includes reviewing their safeguarding knowledge and introducing them to the nursery's procedures.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to plan activities more effectively and ensure there are sufficient resources so that all children gain the best possible learning from the experience.