Hopscotch Day Nursery Gosport

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children happily arrive at the nursery and receive a warm welcome from staff. Children who arrive early enjoy 'breakfast club'. Older children confidently find their friends upon arrival and talk about what they might be having for lunch. Babies are dropped off and picked up from a separate, self-contained building. Children enjoy a variety of sensory activities. For example, older children explore the mud kitchen in the garden. Toddlers practise using rolling pins to roll out play dough. Children find shells in the sand and ask others if they can hear the sea. Babies have access to a sensory room that they explore in small groups.

Children can freely access the outdoor environment from their room. Toddlers enjoy looking at pictures of different facial expressions and are encouraged to try to copy them. This supports children's communication and language development. Older children make cars out of big crates and planks and are reminded to take turns to sit in the driving seat. They pretend to drive to the shop and talk to each other about what they might buy. Children sing songs while they play and are reminded how to be safe when sitting on the crates.

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

• The newly recruited manager has worked hard to implement changes needed to address the actions raised at the last inspection. The leadership team have worked together to ensure that staff feel supported with these changes. They are committed to providing staff with the support they need.
• The leadership team regularly reflect on feedback they receive. They actively respond to any concerns raised. The manager makes sure staff have regular training opportunities. For example, staff have recently had training to review the environment to ensure it is enabling children to learn. They have recently attended safeguarding training. As a result, staff are clear on their roles and responsibilities.
• Staff receive regular supervision where they discuss the needs of the children. The manager and staff agree strategies to best support children. Staff can request resources and training to help promote children's development. For example, staff are beginning to use visual aids to support children's understanding. However, some practices have not yet been embedded across the staff team. As a result, not all staff respond to children consistently.
• Children with special education needs and/or disabilities are supported well. Changes to the environment have been made to enable staff to better support children's individual needs. For instance, the manager has created a quiet space for children to have more adult-directed time. This is having a positive impact on children's emotional development.
• Staff know the children well and have an effective key-person system in place.
• Staff follow the children's interests when planning activities. For example, children take part in maths activities outside. They throw beanbags into hoops and work out which has more and less.
• Children understand the rules and what is expected of them. For example, when the timer goes off they know it is time to tidy up and do so independently. Babies are beginning to remember where resources belong.
• Staff encourage children to manage their own personal care. For example, babies are helped to wipe their own faces. Older children serve their own snack, wash their plates up afterwards and pour their own drinks. This is helping to promote children's independence.
• Staff monitor children's development regularly and plan activities to help support their individual needs. For example, they identify children who need support with their communication development and organise activities to promote language. However, staff do not always tailor their interactions during activities to ensure all children are fully supported.
• Most parents are happy with the care their children receive. They know who their child's key person is and receive regular updates about the development children are making. Parents come into the nursery when they collect their children after being stopped due to COVID-19. They report how positive it is to see what the children have been doing each day. Most parents feel the communication has improved.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff practice to ensure staff respond to children's needs consistently
• strengthen staff support and help staff to understand how to deliver intended learning more effectively for all children.