Bright Start Childcare at Solway House

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at this highly inclusive nursery ready and eager to start their day. Children who are new to the setting receive plenty of reassurance. The dedicated staff team place a high priority on promoting children's emotional security. This begins in the baby room, where activities are planned to help the youngest children form strong bonds with their key person. As children progress to different rooms, staff take time to get to know them. Staff use photographs, which children bring in from home, to help to develop their speech and communication. Toddlers enthusiastically point to their family members, as staff encourage them to repeat the names of the people they can see. In the pre-school room, activities to support children who have a new baby in the family are popular. Children practise bathing and dressing baby dolls as they talk about their new family members.

Activities are carefully planned based on individual children's interests and their learning needs. Even the youngest children show confidence as they explore the stimulating playrooms. Babies giggle as they look at their reflection in a mirror. Toddlers gather round as staff read stories, using puppets to encourage children to join in. Children develop their small muscles as they practise mark making. In the pre-school room, children develop their mathematical vocabulary as they measure out ingredients when making play dough. As a result, children make good progress from their starting points in learning.

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

• Managers have worked hard since the last inspection to develop a clear and effective curriculum. They have accessed support and training from the local authority. As a result, staff clearly understand how to identify what children need to learn. They confidently explain the purpose of the activities they provide. Managers vigilantly monitor the quality of the provision. They are reflective and constantly consider how they can improve the nursery even more. They regularly seek the views of parents and take these into account.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength of the nursery. Parents report that staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that the needs of their children are met, including supporting transitions to different provisions. Staff establish highly effective partnerships with other professionals and follow their advice, when considering how best to spend additional SEND funding.
• The learning environment in each room has been carefully developed to support children's learning. In the baby room, activities are set up at different heights to encourage children to develop their physical skills. As children progress through the nursery, opportunities for them to become confident, independent learners are planned effectively. However, the learning opportunities for children in the outdoor areas are not as stimulating. As a result, children sometimes require more intervention from staff to sustain their engagement in the activities available outside.
• Staff fully understand their role in supporting children's learning. They provide an appropriate balance of activities which they lead, and opportunities for children to play independently. Staff are vigilant in their supervision of children to keep them safe. However, at times, in the pre-school room, staff are not deployed to consistently support children's learning even further.
• Staff plan daily routines to maximise opportunities for children to learn. For example, children can choose when they want to have their snack, so that their play is not disrupted. Babies develop their independence as they are encouraged to feed themselves. Toddlers are helped to pour their own water. Older children carefully cut their own fruit and serve their own lunch.
• Children behave extremely well. They are polite and enjoy helping with tasks, such as tidying up and setting the table. Staff encourage children to share and to take turns. Where minor conflicts arise, they are resolved effectively. This helps children to understand what is expected of them.
• Children benefit from plenty of fresh air and exercise. They are provided with freshly prepared, healthy meals and snacks. Staff have effective procedures in place for nappy changing, and children understand why they need to wash their hands. This promotes children's good health.
• When staff join children in their play, they support children's speech and language extremely well. They help the younger children to pronounce words correctly. Staff use a good range of questioning techniques to help older children to become confident communicators.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the outdoor areas even more to offer a wider choice of activities to benefit those children who prefer to learn outside
• consider how to deploy staff in the pre-school room more effectively so that all children's learning opportunities are supported even further.