Bright Horizons Ampfield Day Nursery and Preschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children separate from their parents without hesitation and are keen to start their day. Those children who are less keen are encouraged by staff and settle quickly. During the COVID-19 restrictions, staff worked with parents to ensure children still settled well.

Children's well-being is supported by staff. A designated person is responsible for each child's care needs. All children have a designated key person.

However, children build good bonds with all staff. Due to recent staffing changes, this system has helped ensure children's individual needs are being cared for well.Children demonstrate good independence skil...ls.

For example, older children take pride in putting their own coats on and attempting to zip them up. They persist with this task and show pride when they achieve this. Staff support children who need further encouragement and a helping hand.

Children know their routines well and demonstrate they feel safe and secure in their surroundings. They move between engaging activities of their choice. For example, they manipulate dough and use a range of resources to form construction models.

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

The manager has an ambitious vision for the nursery and sets high expectations for staff. She is aware of the workload pressures and offers a hands-on approach to tackle these. The manager has a good understanding of child development and uses her knowledge to coach staff to deliver good educational experiences for all children.

The curriculum supports children well. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to gain a positive start. Staff work closely with other professionals, such as language therapists and other health professionals, to support children's overall development.

When children move to a new room within the nursery, staff proactively share information about children's care needs, including allergies and interests. However, staff do not consistently review children's developmental information. This hinders their knowledge on what children can already do.

Staff use available resources well. Staff caring for babies create an environment with lots of opportunities for babies to practise pulling themselves up to standing and walking. Babies confidently cruise and access activities of their choice, such as sensory activities and a cosy book space.

Older children are engrossed in construction materials to recreate their own experiences and show pleasure in sharing these with their peers.Children demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. Staff skilfully incorporate children's learning needs in activities of interest.

For instance, staff teach children about what makes ice and why the ground is frozen. Younger children are intrigued about the texture. They develop good fine motor skills as they use mini play hammers to tap into ice.

Staff purposefully place a limited number of hammers around the activity to encourage valuable skills such as turn-taking.Older children discuss the temperature of different pots of water and decide what the temperature would need to be for the water to turn into ice. Although staff use new words, such as 'tepid', they do not help children to understand what the words mean, to fully extend their vocabulary.

Children behave well. They confidently assess the risks of their play and negotiate space during running games. They are keen to contribute to tidying-away activities when supported by staff.

Older children take turns to be the lunchtime monitor and thrive on the responsibilities of helping.Staff are respectful to children and provide them with choices about their care practices, such as nappy changing. Staff ask children if they can change their nappies and allow children time to prepare for what comes next.

Parents talk positively about the setting and feel reassured that their children are well cared for. They comment that the security of the premises is good and that staff are consistent in ensuring that no person who is not recognised enters the building.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The manager and leaders who support the nursery prioritise the safety and well-being of children and staff. They have good systems in place to review staff's ongoing suitability to work with children. Staff know the potential signs that may indicate a child is at risk or that raise concerns about a colleague's conduct.

They know how, when and to whom to refer concerns or seek advice in line with their local child protection procedures. Leaders monitor staff's overall safeguarding knowledge to ensure staff are confident on policies and procedures that must be followed.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nenhance systems for key people to share children's developmental information when they transition through rooms, particularly when key people change continue to support staff to enhance children's developing vocabulary.