Just For Me Preschool - Northolt Branch

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enter the nursery happily and settle quickly on arrival. They develop warm and trusting bonds with their key person and the staff team. Children are clearly familiar with consistent daily routines. This helps them to feel safe and secure.

Children are curious and excited to learn. For instance, they are eager to explore toy dinosaurs frozen in ice. Children use different tools to free them. They talk about their discoveries and how the ice feels. Children decide that water would help to release the animals, and independently know where to go to fetch the water. Children are very excited about seeing plants grow. In the outside area, they plant daffodil bulbs and hang little containers on the fence. Children are fascinated as they see the little green shoots peeping through the soil.

Children are encouraged to be independent and do things for themselves. They learn to manage their own hygiene in order to promote their good health. Staff support children to thoroughly wash their hands, blow their noses and throw away the tissues. Children understand that this is to minimise the risk of germs. Staff have high expectations of children. They remind them of the nursery's rules about how to behave and to care for each other.

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

• Leaders have an ambitious vision for the nursery. They reflect on the quality of the provision regularly to identify and make improvements. Leaders communicate their expectations well. They are committed to providing staff with regular supervision sessions and professional development. Staff talk positively about the guidance that they have received and how their performance is assessed regularly.
• Staff kept in close contact with families during the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped to support children's learning and well-being. They made videos for children and parents at home. Staff read stories to children, and gave parents support and advice. Parents echo this, as they talk positively about the support their children receive.
• When the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, staff noted some delay in children's development. Consequently, they have successfully focused on helping children to catch up in their communication, self-care and social skills.
• Staff gather a range of information from parents before their children start. They also invest time in getting to know the families, to ensure that they can successfully support children. This helps them to consider children's needs and interests when they plan learning opportunities.
• Staff provide whole-group activities for children to participate in. Most children show focus and engage well at these times. However, on occasions, staff do not consistently support some children to concentrate and to remain fully engaged in the session.
• Staff plan a wealth of activities that ignite children's love of learning and support their interests. For example, children make dough, or experiment with mixing different coffee granules together. However, sometimes, staff do not build on everyday experiences to enhance children's learning even further.
• Experienced staff quickly identify and support children with a developmental delay, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with other professionals, and children receive good support in a timely manner to help them to catch up with their peers.
• Staff know children very well. They observe and assess children's development to help them to plan for their next steps in learning. Staff know that promoting children's communication and language is paramount. They read dual-language books to children, sing favourite songs and offer a lending library for parents to take books home to read with their children.
• Children learn about healthy choices and lifestyles. They have the opportunity to be physical and delight in being able to explore two different gardens. Children can have a go on the obstacle course, or climb different-sized ladders. They use their feet to propel bikes and scooters to manoeuvre down a slope in the garden. Children understand the need to wear a helmet to keep themselves safe. Staff show children how to clean their teeth properly to help them understand about good oral health.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the organisation of large-group times, so that all children remain fully focused and engaged
• review planned activities and the use of resources, so that staff have a more precise idea of what children need to learn next.