Bright Horizons Springfield Lodge Dartford Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy warm and stimulating interactions with staff. Younger children watch with fascination as staff show them how to move and shake their pom-poms in different ways. This encourages children to develop their physical skills. Older children participate in group activities where they learn about the life cycle of caterpillars. Staff skilfully extend this activity so that children can hear new vocabulary, such as 'ginormous'. Children are invited to think of their own words to share with their friends. This helps to build on what children already know.

Staff respond promptly to support children to manage their behaviour. They remind children of the 'golden rules' and this supports children to understand how they are expected to behave at nursery. This has helped staff to reduce the noise levels in each room, which enables children to fully benefit from a quieter and calmer learning environment.

Children are happy and engaged in their learning environment. They demonstrate friendly behaviour towards their friends as they sit in the book corner and read to each other. Children also enjoy interactions with staff. They listen intently as adults read to them. They point to the pictures in the book and share their ideas with staff. This supports children to develop their communication and language skills.

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

• Since the last inspection, leaders have made significant improvements to the organisation of the nursery. They have addressed the weaknesses identified and continue to evaluate the quality of the provision. This helps them to continually enhance the nursery experience for children and their families.
• Leaders effectively monitor staff practice. They observe the teaching in each room and give staff feedback that identifies strengths and areas for improvement. This enables leaders to support staff to continue to develop the quality of their teaching.
• Staff develop secure bonds with their key children. They gather information from parents before they start, which helps them to know what children like and where they are in their development. This enables staff to assist children to settle and plan for their learning. However, on occasion, the learning targets that staff identify for children do not precisely match children's age and stage of development. This means that, at times, activities do not build on and extend children's learning as effectively.
• Staff generally encourage children to be independent in a number of ways. For example, children gradually learn to serve their own food and pour their own drinks during mealtimes. Leaders have installed 'self-care stations' in each room so that children can clean their own faces. However, staff do not consistently
• Inspection report: Bright Horizons Springfield Lodge Dartford Day Nursery and Preschool 2 5 July 2023 help children to learn how to complete these simple self-care tasks themselves. For instance, after lunch, some children have dirty faces, or staff wipe children's faces for them. This does not fully support children to develop an understanding of how to take care of their own needs.
• Staff supervise children well. They notice when children are not engaged, and support them to find an activity that interests them, such as listening to a story or doing a puzzle. This helps children to benefit from the many learning opportunities available to them so they continue to make good progress in their overall development.
• The manager has considered ways to promote home learning. For instance, she has introduced a lending library and home learning packs. Children enjoy choosing what they would like to take home. Parents say that they have benefited from these new initiatives, and this helps to promote consistent support for children.
• Leaders and staff provide effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They communicate with parents when they identify children's emerging needs. Leaders and staff work with other agencies involved in each child's development so that they can provide consistent support. For instance, they coordinate with other professionals to implement strategies such as 'interest boxes', and this helps to promote children's communication and language skills.
• All parents say that they are happy with the nursery. They have noticed huge improvements since the last inspection and their children are benefiting from the changes that have been made. Parents feel that their children are prepared for when they move on to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff's understanding of how to identify precise learning targets and plan more effectively for the next stage of children's learning
• support staff to more consistently promote children's independence skills, to help
• Inspection report: Bright Horizons Springfield Lodge Dartford Day Nursery and Preschool 3 5 July 2023 them carry out self-care tasks for themselves.
• Inspection report: Bright Horizons Springfield Lodge Dartford Day Nursery and Preschool 4 5 July 2023