Grove Hall Nursery Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders, managers and staff have made good progress since the last inspection. They have successfully met all actions raised. As a result, staff ratios and deployment have improved. Children are settled and engaged in a range of activities that promote all areas of learning. The key-person system is now embedded in staff's practice. This ensures that staff work closer with their key group of children, supporting their care needs and monitoring their progress well. They understand what children already know and what they want them to learn next. This especially supports children who are preparing to move on to their next stage of learning, including school.

Children have good relationships with staff and each other. They show strong bonds with staff as they enjoy lots of hugs and cuddles, which helps them feel safe and secure. Children respond well to the daily routines and help to tidy away toys. Staff help children to understand their feelings and develop good social skills, such as taking turns during play.

Younger children develop their understanding of the world as they enjoy exploring in the soil to find toy minibeasts. They develop their early mathematical skills as they identify which ones are the same and also match them to the minibeasts displayed on the wall. Staff encourage children to count how many they have found. They look at them closely and talk about their different features, colours and how they move. This helps children to consolidate their learning effectively.

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

• Older children develop good language skills as they re-enact the story of 'The Three Little Pigs' with staff. Their social skills are enhanced as they successfully negotiate who will be the wolf and where each house will be in the outside play area. They keenly join in the game, showing a good understanding of the story narrative, which strengthens their literacy skills.
• Leaders and managers show a strong commitment to driving improvement. Since the last inspection, they have employed additional staff and gained support from external professionals. Staff are embedding new systems of assessment and planning so that activities are targeted to meet children's individual learning needs and interests. This has a positive impact on the quality of learning and care for all children.
• Children's good health is promoted well through home-cooked meals and regular exercise. Older children enjoy relaxed and sociable mealtimes. They serve their own meals and talk about the foods they like to eat. However, mealtimes are less well organised in the baby room, including seating arrangements. As a result, some children are fed by staff and do not have opportunities to feed themselves, even though they are capable. This hinders development of their self-care and their personal development.
• Parents say their children are always happy at the nursery and are making good progress, especially in their communication and language skills. Parents comment that staffing levels have improved and their children are now more settled. Parents say staff are approachable and know their children well.
• Leaders and managers implement good systems to support staff's professional development and ensure their ongoing suitability. Staff attend regular supervision meetings and relevant training, including induction for new staff. Consequently, staff understand and follow procedures that promote children's welfare effectively.
• Strong partnerships with parents enable a good flow of information-sharing between parents and staff. This includes daily chats, progress reports, updates shared via an app and special events for parents to attend. Staff work closely with parents to promote consistency of care, including when children are toilet training, for example.
• Children actively learn about their community. For example, they regularly walk to the local library to choose books. They also enjoy visits from 'people who help us' and keenly listen as the nurse shows them a stethoscope and talks to them about their health. This positively enhances their understanding of the world.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of mealtimes in the baby room and build on opportunities for children to develop their independence skills further and carry out tasks that they are capable of doing, such as feeding themselves.