Yellow Brick Road, Bracebridge Heath

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive at nursery excited to start their day.

They happily wave their parents goodbye as staff welcome them in to this warm and homely nursery. Staff are genuinely interested in the children. They chat happily together throughout the day.

Staff and children enjoy the time they spend together.Children's behaviour is very good. They listen to staff when they are reminded to use their manners.

Older children show kindness and consideration towards the younger children. They find a comforter on the hallway floor and quickly take it to staff as they know the baby who has dropped it will need it. Children o...f different ages mix at appropriate times during the day.

Siblings spend time together and this contributes to their well-being.Children's learning and development are promoted well. The environment is safe and babies explore with confidence.

They have many opportunities to practise their physical skills. Babies crawl or toddle in and out of the baby room when they would like to play outside. Pre-school children learn about the Earth and which habitats different animals live in.

Toddlers enjoy listening to stories. Staff engage their interest in books by reading to them in an animated way.

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

Staff know children well.

They implement an effective curriculum based on children's interests and development needs, which builds on what children do at home. Children make good progress in their learning. Toddlers are active learners who explore the environment and activities freely.

They learn through play and staff's interactions with them. Pre-school children are confident talkers who communicate clearly.Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.

Pre-school children listen carefully to what staff teach them about the Earth and space. They ask if they can have a go at teaching their friends and take it in turns to hold a book up and explain what they have learned. Children look through an encyclopaedia to find out more information.

Babies babble away happily as they play, and staff acknowledge their attempts to communicate through speech. They enjoy cuddles and listening to staff singing nursery rhymes. Babies clap, smile and laugh as they move their bodies to the tunes.

The key-person system is well embedded and ensures that babies have consistent staff caring for them.Children enjoy healthy and nutritious home-cooked meals. Toddlers and pre-school children serve themselves the portion they would like and often go back for second helpings.

Staff sit with the children during sociable mealtimes, eating and chatting together.Staff take babies out on daily walks around the local area, which gives them fresh air and different experiences. Toddlers and pre-school children engage with the local community.

Recently, they went for a walk and handed out flowers to local people as 'random acts of kindness'.Staff organise stay-and-play sessions where parents come in to the nursery. Parents find out about what their children are learning and how they can support their development and broaden their experiences further at home.

Staff get to know the children's families very well, which fosters effective partnership working.Parents speak highly of the staff. They comment that they are provided with a good amount of information about their children and that communication between nursery and home is excellent.

The owner has a clear vision for the future of the nursery. She has high expectations of herself and her staff, which helps to drive improvements forward. Staff reflect well on the regular professional development opportunities they receive to further their practice.

Staff are organised and communicate well to ensure that children are supervised and safe. However, at times, management do not ensure that staff are deployed effectively across the nursery so that all children's needs are met. For example, in the baby room, there are sometimes not enough staff for short periods of time.

This means that some babies have to wait too long for the attention they need from staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Children are cared for by conscientious staff who provide a safe and secure environment.

They learn to keep themselves safe as they carefully walk down the stairs while closely supervised by staff. The owner, manager and staff all have a clear understanding of their responsibilities regarding child protection. They know the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a child in their care.

The owner and manager work closely with external professionals to safeguard children. All staff are suitable to work with children because the owner and manager complete comprehensive checks during recruitment and on an ongoing basis.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove the deployment of staff across the nursery so that there are always enough staff in each room to meet all children's needs to the highest standards.