Chester Road Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy when they arrive at nursery. They have adapted well to the changes made due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Children understand that their parents no longer come into the nursery. They are confident to separate from their parents and are greeted by warm and friendly staff. Children show they feel completely safe and secure.

Children behave well and staff teach them about the importance of being respectful to others, to share and take their turn. Staff help them to develop the social skills they need to play together. Children receive praise for their efforts and achievements. This develops their self-esteem. For example, when children are mixing colours in the paint, staff give encouragement and children are happy with the result.

Children benefit from a range of interesting activities that build on what they know and can do. They have lots of opportunities to practise their skills and learn new ones through their interactions with staff. Children are making good progress. Staff have high expectations for all children. Within the outdoor space, children are provided with many opportunities to develop their physical skills. For example, babies are supported to take controlled risk while cruising on the low-level climbing frame.

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

• The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength in the nursery. The special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo) is committed to ensuring that all children can access and benefit from the curriculum. This enables the nursery to ensure that children with SEND are off to a good start.
• Children in receipt of additional funding are very well supported. The excellent key-person system and accurate use of assessment means that gaps in children's learning and any specific needs are identified early and acted on quickly. This means that children make the best possible progress from their individual starting points.
• Children's communication skills are a top priority. All staff model an extensive range of vocabulary, meaning that children consistently have opportunities to hear and practise new words. For example, children talk about the changes they observe in the colour when adding more of one colour to make a different shade of orange.
• Staff read stories and sing songs with the children throughout the day. For example, in pre-school, the children listen to staff reading 'Cheetah Learns to Play Nicely'. This helps children to understand and learn about different feelings and emotions, such as being kind to their friends and sharing their toys.
• Staff are aware of what children know and can do. They plan activities that interest and enthuse children. However, on some occasions, staff do not implement the curriculum intent specifically enough. This means that not all activities fully challenge children and build on their prior knowledge.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents comment on the effective communication through the online parent app. Staff are able to share ideas for activities to do when not in nursery. This supports children to continue their learning at home.
• Staff follow robust hygiene routines and teach children about the importance of washing their hands. Older children demonstrate the ability to attend to their personal needs successfully and understand the importance of washing hands.
• Management systems are designed to ensure that completed paperwork is audited and information about children's learning and development is not missed. However, these systems are not monitored routinely and can lead to information not being dealt with in a timely manner. This could lead to a delay in dealing with situations, which could impact on the children's learning outcomes.
• All children behave well, understand expectations and engage in activities with interest. Staff develop children's love for books. Younger children listen to stories and songs. Older children independently read stories, while handling the books with care. This demonstrates children's positive attitudes towards their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop systems to ensure that information is reviewed in a timely manner so that information relating to learning and development is not delayed
• support staff to implement the curriculum intent more sharply to build on what children already know and raise the quality of education to a higher level.