Blossom Years Imperial Way, Chislehurst Day Nursery - BR7 6JP

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happily and are welcomed into the nursery by warming and caring staff. They separate from their parents and carers confidently. This shows that they feel safe and secure in the environment. Children greet their friends excitedly and soon become involved in a variety of activities of their choosing. They are kind and caring. The curriculum is broad and balanced. This helps children to make good progress and gain valuable skills in preparation for school.

Staff have high expectations for all children. They value each child and link children's interests to activities, which supports children's enjoyment. Older children enjoy testing which objects will float or sink, making tally charts of their findings. They listen attentively to the instructions and help to prepare the activity. Children take it in turns to make different predictions and use their mathematical skills to correctly count and record their findings. Children love to explore the garden area, as well the large natural forest school, supported by the qualified forest school leader. Children learn to take risks, with the support of staff, as they use the tree swing carefully. Babies and toddlers confidently participate in sport activities. They listen to instructions to stretch and balance, pretending to be jungle animals as they warm up their bodies. This supports children's listening and communication skills, and it supports the development of children's balance and coordination skills.

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

• The provider and manager are passionate about outcomes for all children. They have clear intentions for children's development and for the learning provided. They are committed to the continuous professional development of practitioners. They provide training opportunities based on practitioners' individual needs and the needs of children. For instance, staff working with younger children have adapted how they plan activities to focus more on the prime areas of learning for children. This maintains the good quality of teaching for children.
• The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a strength. The special educational needs coordinator has good knowledge of how to support children's individual needs. She works closely with practitioners and other professionals to swiftly close any gaps in children's development. Parents are supported in a sensitive manner. They are involved in creating individual support plans for their children. Parents are kept up to date about their children's ongoing development.
• Children's communication and language development is a large part of the well-designed curriculum. Staff engage children in meaningful conversations and build their vocabulary by narrating their play. Staff introduce new words during activities. Staff use varying techniques to question children as they encourage them to share their ideas and opinions. Children enjoy regular story sessions and
• Inspection report: Blossom Years Imperial Way, Chislehurst Day Nursery - BR7 6JP 2 1 August 2023 actively use their imaginations to create their own stories.
• Children are curious and interested, and they enjoy exploring their environment. Older children enjoy spending a large part of their day in the large forest school area. However, at times, staff do not always tune in to supporting quieter, less confident children to engage in activities, to make the most of learning opportunities for all children taking part. For example, during an immersive story, children share their ideas as they follow a map. However, more confident children tend to take over the activity, meaning those who are quieter or less confident do not have the same learning experience.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents speak highly of the nursery and comment that the staff team is nurturing and compassionate and that their children thrive in a safe environment. Good communication ensures that parents know what their children can do and what they will be learning next and how to support their learning at home.
• The manager is enthusiastic and promotes an inclusive setting. The provider and manager create a working environment that makes staff feel valued. The manager and staff team engage parents in their ideas as they evaluate on improvements for the nursery. For example, following suggestions from parents, changes have been made to the security of the children as they enter the premises. This promotes the best outcomes for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to recognise when to adapt learning opportunities and support less confident children to enable all children taking part to have the best possible learning experience.
• Inspection report: Blossom Years Imperial Way, Chislehurst Day Nursery - BR7 6JP 3 1 August 2023