Bright Horizons Horsham Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm welcome by staff and arrive happily. Parents and carers can come into the setting and take their children to their designated room. Children know to hang their coats and bags up before choosing what they want to play with. Older children play very well together. They ask each other to pass wooden construction pieces to help build 'levers'. Children count the pieces as they fix them together. They compare the numbers of pieces they each have and determine who has the longest one. Children talk confidently to each other about their creations. They comment on how to make their models stay afloat in the water and whether they need lights at night time.

Outside, children enjoy playing ball games together. Younger children practise hitting balls with tennis rackets. Children are supported to take turns and are learning how to play safely. For example, they are encouraged to step back and keep their rackets low when batting balls to each other. Some children help staff to tidy the area for growing. They sweep up the soil, which is used to fill planters in preparation for planting. Children happily engage in imaginative play. For example, they pretend they are in an ice-cream shop and ask others to choose what flavour ice cream they would like.

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

• The management team has worked hard to address the actions raised at the last inspection. The manager has implemented a number of changes to improve the quality of the setting. For example, she spends time in each room providing regular support for staff. Communication with parents has improved, and staff and parents report how the changes have made a positive impact on the setting.
• The manager carries out regular supervisions with staff. They discuss children's well-being, as well as how staff are feeling. Staff can request training they are interested in, and the manager ensures this is actioned. As a result, the quality of teaching is improving, and staff feel well supported.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is new to the role and understands her responsibilities well. She is passionate about her role and has a good understanding of the needs of the children she is supporting. The SENCo knows where to go to access advice and if she needs to make a referral to outside agencies. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported.
• Since the last inspection, the staff team is more stable and settled. The manager has recruited and inducted new staff. Staff know who their key children are and understand the curriculum intent. However, the way staff support children in each of the rooms is not always consistent. For example, the strategies and teaching skills used to support children differ between some staff. As a result, children do not fully benefit from consistent teaching in order to maximise their learning.
• Staff follow the children's interests when planning activities. For example, they help children to build ramps with crates, which they then roll dinosaurs down. Staff support younger children to learn about turn taking and the impact their actions have on others.
• Older children initiate their own group games, which they engage well in. They show confidence as they perform 'magic shows' for each other. Staff support children by inviting others to watch the show. Children sit quietly and show respect for those performing. They show delight as they clap at the end of the show.
• Staff provide interesting activities to help support babies' physical development. For example, they invite babies to play with slices of lemon and orange in water. Staff show babies how to pour the fruit slices from one container to another. In addition, staff encourage them to smell the scent of the fruit water. Babies show curiosity in the sensory activity.
• Partnership with parents has greatly improved. They receive regular updates and photographs of their children. Parents report how happy they are with the setting and feel well informed about the progress their children are making.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff practice to ensure the quality of teaching is consistent across the setting in order to support children's understanding and maximise their learning.