Rand Farm Park Day Nursery, Pre School and Activity Day Camps

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. Staff create an environment where children access a variety of opportunities to learn about the world around them. For example, staff ensure that children have daily access to the adjourning farm. Pre-school children listen intently to instructions about how to care for animals. They take it in turn to gently stroke rabbits and brush the guinea pigs' coats. Staff encourage children to consider what the animals may eat. Children learn to handle the animals carefully in case they scare them. This helps children to understand how to take care of other living things.

Staff ensure that there are multiple opportunities for physical play. For instance, pre-school children explore the outdoor environment. They work together with staff and their friends to safely build a train out of pallets. They present their pretend tickets to staff, explaining they are going to visit an ice castle. Toddlers sit with staff and take turns rolling balls back and forth to each other. Babies are supervised by staff as they negotiate the play equipment. They use their muscles, pulling themselves up to take part in low table-top activities. Babies enjoy exploring the textures of paint and making water splash, where staff gently encourage less confident children to take part.

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

• Parents speak positively about the care their children receive. They say their children are very happy at the nursery and have made good progress in their confidence and social skills. Parents state that the activities that staff provide for children are 'enriching' and 'unique'. They state that communication with staff is effective, where detailed daily handovers occur.
• Staff have created an environment which encourages children's developing independence skills. For example, babies are supported to use cutlery to eat their lunch and toddlers are helped to wipe their noses and put their used tissues in the bin. Pre-school children busy themselves as they serve their meals, scrape their leftover food into the bin and wash their dishes. This helps children to learn to do as much for themselves as possible.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on children's health and well-being. Children are encouraged to talk about their feelings through play and are supported to make friends and help others. Pre-school children enjoy taking part in yoga. Children watch carefully and copy staff as they practise new positions. Staff talk to children about how to stretch, balance and bend their bodies.
• In general, staff offer good support for children's learning. For example, staff engage with younger babies during their play to build on what they want children to learn next and to develop their interests further. However, at times, staff working with toddlers and older babies do not deploy themselves well
• Inspection report: Rand Farm Park Day Nursery, Pre School and Activity Day Camps 2 22 January 2024 enough. This means children have less support from staff to consistently extend their play and learning.
• Children behave well. Staff praise them for their manners, which children use spontaneously throughout their play and daily routines. Children politely say 'excuse me' to each other when they want to share some information with their friends. Children readily help staff and wipe the tables for them. This helps children to learn how to be respectful of each other.
• Overall, managers and staff plan an ambitious curriculum to help all children make good progress. However, the curriculum plan for toddlers is not yet fully understood by all staff. As a result, staff lack confidence and do not thoroughly consider the opportunities and activities which they present to children. Therefore, children do not benefit from well-thought-out activities which extend their thinking skills and development.
• Leaders and managers ensure oversight of the nursery. They monitor and evaluate the experiences provided for children and identify areas where improvements can be made. Staff say managers are supportive and they feel valued and listened to.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen staff skills, with particular reference to the staff who work in toddlers and the older baby room, in order to provide consistent and purposeful interactions for children which build on their existing skills and knowledge
• support staff to enhance their confidence in implementing the curriculum to help toddlers make the progress they are capable of.
• Inspection report: Rand Farm Park Day Nursery, Pre School and Activity Day Camps 3 22 January 2024