The Grange Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement The manager and staff understand how to safeguard children. However, while staff understand procedures on the safe use of mobile phones, they do not always challenge visitors who use their mobile phones when visiting the nursery, in line with the nursery's policy.Children are welcomed into the nursery with a warm, caring approach.

New families are supported with taster visits to help children move seamlessly from home. Children and parents are supported during visits, and children are encouraged to explore the nursery environment. These visits are tailored to children's individual needs to encourage settling in and help them to fe...el secure.

Staff support children to settle by using children's interests, such as play figures and water play. This helps children and parents feel at ease and builds on children's social and emotional development.Staff know children well, overall, and support development through planned learning.

Children's progress is promoted through an ambitious curriculum offering learning inside and outside. Staff use a wide range of resources, including natural materials, to allow children to express themselves using their own ideas and imagination. Staff provide mint and basil leaves to enhance play dough exploration.

Children use herbs and flowers in sensory kitchens, all of which have been cared for and grown at the nursery. The nursery's guinea pigs were born on site. Staff promote positive attitudes to learning, and children behave well.

Children's learning experiences are central to the nursery's care and education and have a positive impact on development across the early years foundation stage.

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

Staff are aware of the potential harm that incorrect mobile phone use can have on children's safety, and they do not use personal phones while in the nursery. Signs are placed around the nursery to promote safe use of mobile phones.

The nursery has a policy around their use and, although staff follow this, it is not always consistently implemented for visitors to the nursery. For example, when parents use their phones in the nursery, although not alone with the children, staff do not always address this by reminding them of the policy.Story times are brought to life with props, staff using expression and the effective use of questions.

Children enthusiastically recall past and future events while relaying upcoming events in storybooks. Staff ensure learning is exciting and engaging. Children learn in social situations and develop their language in a joyful atmosphere.

Staff know children well, overall. This helps children to make good progress from their starting points, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).The staff know children's next steps in learning.

However, on occasions, the questions that some staff ask children become too complex, resulting in some children beginning to lose focus and interest. For example, play dough exploration is not tailored effectively to meet all children's stage of development. The questions staff ask are not always matched to children's different levels of understanding and ability.

Parents are happy with the care and development offered by staff at the nursery. Parents praise the staff and all they do to support children's development. Parents feel supported and listened to.

They state that their children love attending and feel part of a family at the nursery. Staff pride themselves on developing effective parent partnerships. For example, they use 'wow leaves' to celebrate children's achievements.

Parents receive updates on their children's progress, along with information on healthy packed lunches, oral hygiene practices, toilet training and school readiness. Parents mutually state that relationships and care are central to all the nursery offers. They are grateful for the efforts shown by all staff members and state that the result of this is having confident young children, ready for school.

Staff support children with SEND to a high standard. Care plans support individual children's development effectively. Staff engage with other professionals to support their training needs.

They gain knowledge and use training to further support the children in their care, for example, by using a 'now and next' board, which supports children's development. Staff offer additional language support and specialised in-house training, as a result. Staff's proactive response to supporting individuals ensures children benefit from additional funding, enriching experiences with resources such as water walls, play huts and one-to-one ratio support.

Children move on to primary education well supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders ensure staff are trained, and safeguarding training is refreshed regularly.

Staff know the different types of abuse and, through discussions, they are able to identify the possible signs of abuse. Staff complete first-aid training to ensure they have the required knowledge to deal with accident and emergencies. Staff complete checks to ensure the environment is secure with gate locks and monitored entrance to the front door.

Effective recruitment procedures ensure staff undergo the relevant checks and are suitable to work with children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure staff understand and consistently implement the policy on the use of mobile phones by visitors to the nursery.08/09/2023 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nensure staff's questioning is effective and consistently pitched at the right level to help children remain focused and fully engaged.