The Magical Kingdom Nursery And Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Babies and children enter the nursery confidently, leaving their parents at the door following COVID-19 pandemic procedures.

Parents comment that the staff are very welcoming, and their children are keen to attend. Staff have continued to exchange information with them about their children's progress electronically and through daily talks at the door. Staff arrange virtual meetings to discuss children's development in more detail with parents.

Children are confident, sociable and learning to behave well. Staff encourage children to be polite and kind to others. Staff know the children well and provide a range of intere...sting activities, which provide opportunities for children to learn in all areas.

Children keenly engage in activities and concentrate well. For example, they enjoy exploring different materials, such as glitter while making Christmas decorations. They practise the movements needed for early writing as they make circular movements with their hands, cotton wool and paintbrushes in a large tray of paint.

Staff adapt their curriculum to meet the individual needs of every child. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make good progress. Children are well prepared to make the move up to the next room and on to school.

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

Following the last inspection, a newly promoted manager quickly ensured that she had an accurate view of the nursery. She observes staff practice and has begun to discuss their strengths and areas to develop with them. However, the impact of recent staff team changes has not been fully reviewed.

This means that, occasionally, teaching and learning are not consistently of the highest quality in the pre-school room. At times, staff do not focus clearly on the intended learning to ensure children gain the most from an activity.The special educational needs coordinator supports staff well to identify children's needs.

She works closely with parents and staff to seek external professional support, where required, to help all children make good progress.Children with similar abilities enjoy cooking in small groups, which helps staff to build on children's previous knowledge and experience. Children talk about healthy eating as they follow different recipes, some of which are provided by parents.

They learn to use different equipment safely, such as knives to cut fruit for a salad.Children enjoy activities linked to their culture and those of others. At Diwali, they dance to Bollywood songs and make Rangoli patterns.

Children make wreaths of poppies and take them to a local church for Remembrance Sunday. Children are encouraged to consider the needs of others. They make cakes and sell them in the local area to raise money for different charities.

Staff use a range of ways to help toddlers to recognise emotions and express how they are feeling. For example, they use facial expressions particularly well and encourage children to identify the different emotions displayed on the wall. Toddlers are encouraged to use good manners and build good social skills.

Overall, children behave well. They are keen to get involved in activities. Staff manage children's behaviour consistently and sort minor squabbles quickly.

Children develop good speaking, listening and literacy skills. Children join in with songs enthusiastically and learn new words introduced by staff as they play. Staff frequently read stories to children and purposefully provide cosy, calm areas for children to sit and look at books.

Two-year-old children turn the pages appropriately and concentrate well on their chosen book.Children have opportunities to develop good physical skills and coordination. Toddlers keenly mix ingredients to make salt dough, which they manipulate with their fingers, and use rollers and cutters to make Christmas decorations.

Outdoor activities include obstacle courses.Children have many opportunities to hear and join in with counting. They clap once for every child who is in the room.

They count how many bricks are in their tall tower and how many salt dough decorations they have made.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Since the last inspection, a new manager has been appointed, who has taken the role of the designated safeguarding officer.

She has completed suitable child protection training and demonstrates a clear understanding of safeguarding procedures. All staff have been retrained to refresh their understanding of the procedures to follow if concerned about a child. Risk assessments have been reviewed and guards fitted to the garden door following an incident where a child trapped their fingers.

Policies and procedures have been reviewed and improved. Staff monitor sleeping children and record their checks. Staff now use a newly purchased camera with no internet access to record children's development.

Children's actual hours of attendance are now accurately recorded, so it is clear who is present and what time children have been collected. Staff now check this record and follow a detailed checklist at night to ensure that all children have been collected before securing the premises.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nevaluate and minimise the impact of staff changes to ensure good quality teaching and learning are consistently maintained nensure staff focus more clearly on what they want children to learn when supporting activities in the pre-school room to build on the quality of education.