Giggles Day Nursery (Skelmersdale) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure at this setting. They confidently explore the activities and opportunities available to them. Children demonstrate good attitudes to their learning. Staff model clear and appropriate expectations for children's behaviour. Children's behaviour is very good. All children are curious and keen to take part in activities. For example, babies show high levels of motivation as they drop balls through tunnels and wait for them to roll out. Staff constantly communicate with babies, introducing repetitive language, such as 'pop' and 'roll', to support their developing communication skills. Staff support young children to develop their independence skills effectively. Children learn how to share and take turns. They enjoy completing small tasks. For example, children fill up their own cup with water and follow the routine of scraping their plates when mealtimes have finished. Staff successfully help the children to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem. The children discuss and share things they are good at during circle time. For example, one child proudly shares her 'trick' of how to put her coat on independently.

Leaders acknowledge the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and have adjusted the curriculum to meet children's needs. There is a strong focus on building children's communication and language skills. Staff develop children's communication and language skills effectively. They read books, sing rhymes and tell stories to introduce new words. Younger children proudly explain their drawings to staff, who praise them. They excitedly tell staff that 'this is my mummy, and this is the letter from my name'. This supports children's early literacy and self-confidence.

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

• Staff know the children well. The manager and her team have developed a creative curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. Staff use assessment well to identify clear next steps within each child's learning. This helps to ensure that children receive the support that they need, so they can make good progress in relation to their individual starting points.
• Children enjoy many opportunities to practise and strengthen the small muscles in their hands. For example, younger children squeeze pegs onto plates and older children manipulate dough. They prod, poke and stretch the dough using their fingers. This helps to prepare children for early writing.
• Leaders have a range of policies and procedures in place to support staff within their role. However, leaders do not always check that staff fully understand and implement key policies consistently, to further enhance the smooth running of the setting.
• Children enjoy fresh air and exercise as they play outside. There are plenty of opportunities for all children, including babies, to practise and develop their large-muscle skills. For example, children are confident at climbing on the apparatus and negotiate space well as they pedal on bicycles and trikes.
• The special educational needs coordinator supports staff in identifying children who may need extra support with their learning and development. Together, they work with parents and outside agencies to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have the support they require to make continued good progress.
• Partnership with parents is good. Parents comment that the children are happy at the setting and that the communication is 'positive' and 'supportive'. Staff support parents to understand what their children enjoy and what they can do while at nursery. Parents receive termly assessment updates, informing them of their child's developmental progress. Parents are 'happy' as they feel that their children are making good progress.
• Leaders promote children's understanding of equality and diversity and explore a range of cultural festivals, such as Chinese New Year. Older children have enjoyed exploring an 'international food shop' in the role-play area. The food items support discussion about the different foods eaten in different countries and cultures. This helps prepare children for life in modern Britain.
• The management team have systems in place to help to identify areas for improvement across the setting. Since the last inspection, the manager has developed and enhanced her supervision processes to support staff working with children. However, leaders do not always ensure that all staff receive clear targets to help them improve their quality of teaching to the highest level.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• routinely check staff understanding and implementation of key policies and procedures to further support the consistent and smooth running of the setting
• focus the supervision of staff more precisely on raising the quality of teaching to the highest level.