Scallywags Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy their time at nursery and develop secure relationships with staff and their peers. Interactions between staff and children are warm and supportive, which supports their emotional development and sense of security. For instance, new children receive the support of their key person and settle in their arms before starting to explore their environment. Overall, children behave appropriately and demonstrate that their needs are being met.

Staff support children's communication and language skills well. They model clear language and repeat words back to children. All children enjoy stories and singing. Staff engage in meaningful conversations with older children. They use these opportunities to build on their vocabulary. Staff read and explore sensory books with babies, introducing descriptive words to describe the textures of the pictures, such as 'fluffy' and 'smooth'. As a result, children are becoming confident communicators.

Staff plan a range of activities and experiences that capture children's interests. For example, they recently had a delivery of eggs that the children have watched hatch into chicks. Children observe and chat together as they discuss their features, similarities and differences, such as some having fluffy feathers on their legs. This provides children with new experiences as they learn about life cycles and the care needs of chicks.

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

• The provider, manager and staff have worked incredibly hard since their last inspection to meet the actions raised. For example, they have made some significant improvements to the nursery environment, both inside and outdoors, to ensure that it is now clean and fit for purpose. The manager is undertaking additional training to assist her in her role. This has been successful in supporting her to ensure that risk assessment is effective in identifying and minimising risks to children's health and safety.
• The provider has reflected on her provision for children and made some positive changes. For example, she has made it a priority for all staff, including the manager, to complete additional training. Staff report that this has inspired them to reflect on their environment and make positive changes in supporting children.
• The nursery curriculum has been revisited and now shows clear intentions for children's learning. It is sequenced well to build on what children already know and can do. Staff plan a range of activities to support children's growing interests. However, on occasions, the noise level is high. This makes it difficult for children to concentrate fully and be deeply focused on their learning.
• Children demonstrate growing independence in their self-care skills. For example, staff encourage all children to wipe their own noses and wash their hands at appropriate times. Children learn the importance of drinking water as staff introduce new words, such as 'hydrated', and explain the meaning. They demonstrate their growing independence as they serve their own lunch, cut up fruit at snack and pour their drinks on their own.
• Staff ensure that all children benefit from daily activities to be physically active. For example, babies have low-level furniture to pull to stand and staff encourage them to practise their early walking skills. Other children confidently climb up the steps of the slide and slide down.
• Leaders have made changes to the way staff are deployed around the nursery. They have reorganised staffing roles to ensure that they do not need to take prolonged time away from children to complete housekeeping tasks. This means that staff now feel more supported in their roles and increases the number of staff directly supervising children. Most children listen to instructions well, take turns and share. However, systems that emphasise praise for positive behaviour are not fully effective in motivating some children to make good choices.
• Parents comment positively on the improvements made since the last inspection. They appreciate the enhanced communication they receive regarding their children's learning and development. A book lending scheme has been created to encourage children's literacy at home. Staff encourage children to take a bear home and bring it back to share their experiences. For example, children share their photographs in the book and confidently explain the activities that they have been on with the bear.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of activities to provide children with greater opportunities to concentrate deeply on their learning and play
• guide staff to provide young children with the support they need to make good choices, helping them to understand the impact their behaviour has on others.