Hanslope Park Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are safe and secure, and they display trusting bonds with the kind and nurturing staff team. New children and babies are supported well to settle into the nursery routine and immediately seek the reassurance of their key worker if they become unsure or upset. This supports children to gain confidence, and children are well behaved.

All children have regular opportunities to read stories and develop a love of books. Babies enjoy sitting with staff, and when asked, they correctly point out what they can see on the pages. Older children choose their favourite stories to look at independently. Staff read enthusiastically and leave pauses in the stories as they read. Children delight as they recall their favourite parts and demonstrate understanding as they fill in the missing parts of the story.

The nursery is resourced well and provokes children's curiosity and eagerness to learn both inside and outside. Babies show fascination and delight as they explore paint and make marks with sponges and their hands. Toddlers transport water and sand using scoops and jugs. They explore the feeling through their fingers and hands. Older children are proud of their achievements. For instance, some children confidently make marks in paint and competently write the first initial in their name. Children are learning to recognise letters and make marks in readiness for school.

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

• The leadership team and staff have been proactive in addressing the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection to implement improvements. They are a highly reflective team and work very well together to provide the best possible environment for children to learn and develop. In addition, they have worked with the local authority and external consultants to develop improvement plans and access further training.
• Children benefit from a curriculum that is carefully considered and well planned. Staff build on what children already know and can do. They provide activities that follow the child's individual interests and what they need to learn next.
• Staff are warm, kind and caring to children. All children have a key person. Staff understand the importance of this role in helping children build attachments and feel safe and secure.
• Children behave very well in the nursery. Staff are excellent role models and have completed behaviour training. This has enabled staff to teach children how to regulate their feelings and support them to understand the language of emotions. For example, children know the 'nursery's rules' and follow them well; they are learning to share, take turns and are polite to one another.
• Overall, staff's interaction with children is positive. Children confidently choose the resources they would like to use, and staff join them in their self-chosen activities to support and extend their learning. However, during some activities, staff move away from children to complete routine tasks, such as setting up for mealtimes or changing a nappy. This results in some children losing interest in the activity, and learning is interrupted.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents speak highly of the 'kind, caring and stable staff team'. Staff communicate well with parents, with daily updates on children's progress, regular parents' meetings and newsletters.
• Staff work effectively to develop children's communication skills. For example, they carry out regular focused-group activities and read to children with enthusiasm and excitement. Staff model language well with children, identify specific needs early on and provide targeted support. They work closely with other agencies, ensuring that children receive specialist support when needed.
• The leadership team undertakes regular supervision and observation of staff. However, the leadership team recognises that there is still scope for continuous professional development opportunities to focus more precisely on raising the quality of teaching to the highest level.
• Staff have regular meetings to support their own practice and express how they feel valued. The manager plans well for professional development opportunities to help staff to continuously raise their knowledge and understanding. For example, recent training has helped them to be more reflective in supporting babies' development and to further explore how to encourage each child's individual learning characteristics.
• Children freely express themselves in a wide range of role-play activities. They become deeply involved in imaginary play. For example, pre-school children show their increasing imaginations as they set up their teddies in a pretend game of musical chairs, contributing to their personal and social development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance opportunities for children to maintain their concentration and exploration during the times when staff leave activities to carry out routine tasks
• refine the professional development programme for staff to improve the quality of teaching to the highest level.