Schools Out Northwest Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed warmly when they arrive at the nursery. They have formed strong and secure relationships with the staff and will often seek them out for support and reassurance. Staff are extremely loving and caring towards the children, who run over to them excitedly for cuddles. This results in children feeling safe and secure. Children enjoy exploring the environment and have continuous access to both the indoor and outdoor environments. Staff implement the intent to focus on children's language, physical and personal development well. They understand how to further children's development and plan activities based on their interests. This helps children's engagement and concentration.

Children are well behaved. This is supported effectively by staff who are very calm and caring towards children. They continuously develop children's understanding of how to manage their own behaviour through positive reinforcement and praising children on their achievements. Children can be observed exploring their environment through their senses. For example, children enjoy building sandcastles in the outdoor sandpit. They explore paint with their whole bodies on large pieces of paper on the floor in the nursery classroom.

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

• The managers and staff have worked extremely hard since their last inspection to improve the nursery and outcomes for children. Staff have all attended training to develop their understanding of supporting children's development. They plan activities and experiences to meet all areas of learning so that children develop holistically.
• Supervisions are now carried out regularly with staff. This has helped staff to reflect on their practice and have a stronger understanding of their own professional development and where they need more support. Staff understand that reflecting on their own practice has a positive impact on outcomes for children.
• Children are making good progress from their starting points, especially children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is supported by managers as they have high expectations for children's learning, and they work closely with staff to role model good practice.
• The outdoor environment supports part of the curriculum intent to develop children's physical development. Children use a variety of resources with sand and water to develop their fine motor skills. Different levels and surfaces develop children's ability to build on their gross motor skills, coordination and balance. This builds on children's confidence and ability to enhance their physical skills.
• Overall, children are provided with some opportunities to be independent, such as serving part of their own meals. However, staff do not consistently provide opportunities for children to develop their independence in self-care and managing their own risk. For instance, staff wash the hands of children who are more than capable of doing it themselves, and they do not always give children the independence to assess their own risks. This hinders children's ability to learn how to independently look after themselves.
• The key-person system is well embedded. Staff know all the children extremely well, rather than just their key children. They can discuss the specific next steps in their development. This supports children's learning and their ability to feel secure, even if their key person is absent.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery staff. Communication is strong and parents are happy with the information they receive about their child. Parents express that the management team has been enormously supportive in catering for their children's individual needs and seeking additional support when required. This supports the consistency of care for children.
• On the whole, staff have developed their understanding of children's language development. They communicate with children on their level and use techniques which are age and stage appropriate for the children. However, sometimes, staff ask too many questions in quick succession. They do not give children enough time to process what has been said to them before moving on. This hinders children's progression in their language development.
• Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are highly engaged in activities. This is well promoted by staff's enthusiasm and engagement with children. For example, during a group singing activity, staff's enthusiasm in the activity quickly gains children's attention again when they start to lose concentration.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop staff understanding of children's communication and language development and provide children with more time to respond when spoken to
• support staff to provide more opportunities to develop children's independence.