Bright Horizons Hedge End Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy, confident and independent as they play and learn. They keep on trying, such as when they build houses to play in from cushions. Children show they feel proud when the cushions stand up. Staff readily offer children warm praise and encouragement, supporting their emotional well-being effectively.

Babies snuggle in and seek out comfort from their familiar adults. Staff are caring and responsive to their individual needs. Young children show they feel safe with staff. Children laugh with delight as they play, clearly enjoying the attention they receive from staff. Older children play cooperatively. They are curious learners and hold lively conversations with attentive staff. Throughout the setting, children are busy and engaged as they play and learn.

Staff are positive role models for children. They communicate effectively as a team and show respect to each other. Staff provide a stimulating learning environment for children to play and learn in. They support children to settle in swiftly and take part in the many activities they have planned to support children's learning. Children are self-motivated to get involved and show they enjoy their time at the setting.

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

• Leaders and managers have a clear curriculum planned to support children's learning in the setting. Staff understand the skills they want to teach children in each room. They effectively support children to learn these skills. This helps children to build on what they know and can do.
• The primary focus of the curriculum for all children is to become independent. Babies help wash their hands before lunch, for example, and young children know where to find tissues for their noses. Older children confidently change their clothes when they get wet playing outdoors. Staff are supportive and provide plenty of encouragement and time for children to master their personal care. The support staff offer to children is very effective and children are highly independent from a young age.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have good support from staff. They have individualised learning plans which help to close gaps in children's learning. Staff build strong links with external professionals involved in children's care. This supports high levels of continuity for children's care and learning.
• Staff have a good understanding of how to support all children's learning. They plan engaging activities that help stimulate and motivate children. Staff help children make links to familiar stories. For instance, young children enthusiastically take part in hunting for bears outdoors after hearing one of their favourite stories. They support children's communication and early reading skills well.
• Staff teach children to recognise their feelings and manage their behaviour. Children show they understand the rules and boundaries of the setting and behave well.
• All children benefit from regular outings into the local community. This helps them to see different people and different places. They learn about the diversity of the wider world in which they are growing up.
• At times, staff do not fully understand how they can promote children's play and learning to the highest levels. Occasionally, staff stop children from exploring their interests, for example, and prevent them from trying out new ideas. This limits children's play and learning.
• Generally, staff offer good support for children's learning. However, at times, less experienced staff need greater help to provide effective support for children's learning. Staff deployment, occasionally, is not always fully effective in meeting all children's needs.
• Staff report very positively about the support they have from their manager, as well as the company. Staff say their welfare and well-being are considered as important and they feel valued.
• The new manager has clear plans to continue to develop and improve the setting. She makes good use of supervision meetings and observations of staff practice to pinpoint areas for further development. Staff training is finely tuned to the needs of staff and children at the setting. This has a positive impact on the quality of care and teaching children receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make better use of staff training and development opportunities to improve the quality of teaching
• improve staff deployment to help staff make the most of all opportunities to build on children's learning.