Bright Horizons Carshalton Day Nursery And Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and settle well for their day with the support of caring staff, who are warm and welcoming. Staff know the children well and are sensitive to their needs. Babies enjoy quiet cuddles as they snuggle in with staff during rest times. Children feel safe and secure in staff's care. The range of activities stimulates children's interests. They explore their environment with confidence. Children are friendly and play well together. Younger children find confidence in small-group play as staff support them to take turns on the climbing frame and slide. Older children learn to be independent by dressing themselves as they get ready to play in the garden and serving their own lunch.

The curriculum is sequenced well for children to extend their interests and build on what they can already do. Staff are ambitious for children's progress as they develop important life skills, and they prepare children for school. The new manager has quickly established a good rapport with the staff team. She has identified areas for improvement, and her ideas are well received. Staff already feel well supported.

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

• Staff are good role models for children's behaviour. They are polite and courteous in their interactions. Children learn to say 'please' and 'thank you' as they play together. Staff help them learn to solve problems and share equipment. For example, when two children want the same chair, staff calmly support them to find a different place to sit. This helps children learn to understand and manage their behaviour.
• Key persons know their children well. They use effective observation and assessment to plan next steps in their learning. The activities reflect the planned learning intentions and children's interests well. Staff interactions are generally supportive of children's learning. However, there are times when bank staff are not clear about what the learning intentions are. This means that while children are stimulated by the activity, their learning is not always supported as well as it could be. Despite this, children are interested in the learning that takes place and do make good progress overall.
• Mealtimes are sociable occasions. Children enjoy sitting with their friends. Staff encourage them to use cutlery and feed themselves. Meals are healthy and balanced, providing children with good nutrition. Toddlers enjoy the challenge of serving themselves and choosing how much to put on their plate.
• Effective procedures are in place for children with dietary allergies. For example, colour-coded crockery and detailed signs indicate what food children can and cannot eat. It is clear what staff should do if a child has an allergic reaction. Specific staff are allocated to serving food to children with allergies to minimise the risk of contamination.
• Staff generally support children's communication and language well. Babies and toddlers use simple signs and gestures to say when they want more or when they are finished. Staff model language well. They extend children's vocabulary by naming objects and using words like 'delicious' and 'squishy'. Children enjoy sharing books and storytelling. However, staff are not as confident in how to support children who speak English as an additional language. This means some children may find it difficult to be understood or feel confident to communicate.
• There are effective plans in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They enjoy small-group activities that help them to focus and learn at their own pace. Staff are patient and responsive to their needs and attempts to join in with the games. Children respond well to the praise and encouragement they receive. This helps them to keep trying and maintain focus.
• All children learn to control their small-muscle movements. Younger children develop ability by making marks with paint dabbers. Older children show increasing skill as they use tweezers to pick up small objects. These activities help children develop the skills they will need to write as they get older.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and improve support for children who speak English as an additional language to support their communication and language development
• enhance information shared with bank staff so they can support children's learning more effectively.