Splat Day Nursery & Forest School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children happily enter the nursery where they are warmly greeted by their friends and staff. They engage in their chosen activity and enjoy exploring the wonderful outdoor play area.

They know to wear waterproof suits and wellington boots on rainy days, and display impressive independence skills as they skilfully attach the clasps together. Children are confident and physical learners. For example, they carefully manoeuvre themselves over and along the wooden balancing beams.

They shout gleefully to their friends, 'Look at me!' This positively enhances their enjoyment of physical exercise. Children form trusting and me...aningful relationships with staff, which help children feel safe and secure. Children are very polite and behaviour is good.

Any age-related negative behaviour is managed quickly and effectively by staff. Children know to wash their hands before eating, which encourages good hygiene routines. Staff encourage children to develop their independence during mealtimes.

This is demonstrated as they skilfully transfer raw vegetables onto their plates by using tongs at snack time. Older children learn about good oral hygiene. For instance, they use shaving foam and toothbrushes to brush a large set of silicone teeth.

They have great fun ensuring that they have cleaned all the teeth thoroughly. Staff extend this learning by discussing with the children what foods are good for their teeth.

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

The manager sets high expectations for all staff and carries out regular appraisals to help ensure any training needs are quickly identified.

Staff comment that they feel well supported by the manager and frequently complete courses that interest them. For example, staff are continuing to develop the exciting forest-school woodland area. This helps children understand how to manage their own safety while in a supervised environment.

Robust self-evaluation checks the quality of the provision and highlights areas that may require improvement. For example, staff recently completed a 'Motivating Boys' course. This resulted in them improving access to the outdoor play areas for all children, but especially the boys.

Staff say this has been very successful. All staff share what they have learned with other staff during staff meetings. This helps promote existing teaching skills to a higher level.

Children display good communication skills. Staff use good questioning techniques and speak clearly to the children. However, on occasions, staff do not allow children sufficient time to think about answers to their questions, and answer for them.

Younger children and those with with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) communicate their needs well. This is illustrated as they confidently use sign language.Younger children and toddlers enjoy listening to stories and display good concentration skills as they follow the story line.

Older children enjoy cuddling up together in the book corner. They take turns to read their selected books, turning each page carefully. They display good pencil control as they write pretend letters, showing great imagination as they discuss the content.

All children display a positive attitude to their learning.Children count well and display a good understanding of mathematical language. Sometimes, staff miss opportunities to promote children's mathematical learning to a higher level, such as comparing sizes and ordering objects.

Children with SEND receive excellent support to help them to make good progress in their development. Additional funding is used effectively to provide specific resources and experiences some children require to promote their learning.Staff encourage children to initiate their own learning and plan their next steps to extend those interests.

Children's progress is monitored well. This information is shared with parents, who comment how wonderfully attentive staff are, regarding their children's needs.Children learn about their local environment.

They enjoy supervised walks around the fishing lakes, observing and discussing the beautiful fish swimming around. This helps promote an understanding of the world around them.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager has a good understanding of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the early years foundation stage. She has robust recruitment procedures in place to check the suitability of new staff. The manager and staff complete all mandatory training, such as child protection and paediatric first aid, to ensure they have a good understanding of how to safeguard children.

They have a strong knowledge of child protection issues, including wider safeguarding concerns, such as female genital mutilation and the 'Prevent' duty. Regular risk assessments help ensure that the learning environment is safe and secure for children while they play and explore.

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 children to process questions and answers during activities to promote their language and thinking skills to a higher level maximise opportunities to promote children's use of mathematical language during their play.