Partou Merchant Square Day Nursery & Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders have taken steps to make the necessary improvements since the last inspection. Leaders have strengthened staff's skills to ensure that they understand and implement the safeguarding and welfare requirements to keep children safe and support them to thrive. Children arrive to an environment that has been thoughtfully arranged by staff to engage children to learn through play. Children enjoy a wide range of learning experiences as part of the curriculum. For example, some children take a walk with staff along the local canal and pick leaves they recognise from a book they have read earlier about 'autumn leaves'. They share with staff the various colours and sizes of leaves they recognise. Staff use these experiences to help children to build an understanding of the world around them.

Leaders and staff take the time to build positive relationships with children and their parents and carers with a robust settling-in process. This helps staff to establish the needs of every child. The curriculum is individualised to help children to learn in sequence around what interests them. Children confidently have choices throughout the day, which helps to build their independence. Staff remind children of their expectations and are responsive to their needs. This helps children to feel safe and secure and have a positive attitude to their learning.

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

• Leaders have worked hard since the last inspection to ensure that staff's safeguarding knowledge has been strengthened through training and continual updates. Staff recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and what they need to do. In addition, staff are fully aware of procedures to follow should there be an allegation against a member of staff towards their conduct. This helps to protect children from harm.
• Staff help children to become effective communicators, including children who speak English as an additional language. Staff talk to children throughout the day and help to introduce a range of vocabulary. Staff read stories to young children, who listen with intent. This repetition helps children to become familiar with what comes next. Staff sing nursery rhymes to children on outings based on what they see, such as 'Five Little Ducks' as they walk along the canal. This helps children to make links in their learning.
• Staff support children to build their physical skills well. Children use resources, such as tricycles, climbing equipment and large tyres, to build their core strength and gross motor skills. Staff create opportunities for children to make play dough as a group, where they cut, roll and squeeze. Children use their fingers to handle small pipettes to fill and empty objects with water. These experiences help children to build their small finger muscles to support their early writing skills.
• Staff support children to learn how to keep their bodies healthy. Leaders ensure that children have well-balanced and nutritious meals that take into account their dietary needs. Staff remind children to wash their hands beforehand. This supports children to learn about good hygiene practices.
• Leaders have established a robust staff supervision process and ongoing professional discussions to help identify staff's strengths and training needs. Staff have attended a range of training opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and teaching practices. This helps to build a strong curriculum. Staff share that they feel valued and appreciated by leaders.
• Leaders and staff have used training to support staff to build a curriculum that is ambitious for every child. This helps children to reach their full potential.
• Parents speak positively of leaders and staff. They appreciate the daily communication and regular updates on their children's care needs and development. Parents share that staff work closely with them to support milestones, such as toilet training. This helps to support a consistent approach to children's learning.
• Staff support children to recognise and regulate their emotions. For example, when children are settling back to nursery, they help children to feel secure in their environment. Staff use a small bookcase and cosy space to help create a distraction for children to help them to feel calm and ready to join their friends.
• Staff support children to have a positive attitude to their learning. Staff prepare children for transitions in the day, so they understand what is happening next. However, occasionally, not all staff, including cover staff, receive updates about every child's individual needs to support their behaviour. This means, sometimes, staff are not fully prepared to provide a targeted approach to individual needs.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that all staff, including cover staff, have a full understanding of children's needs to support their behaviour further.