Skamps Pre-School Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Relationships between children and staff are positive, and children are happy and settled. Their emotional security is addressed well. For example, a gradual settling-in procedure is agreed with parents in accordance with their child's needs. Friendships have formed among older children. A group of children work together using wooden bricks to build a house for their small-world figures. A child tries to construct a bridge with the bricks and says to another child, 'can you help me?' Children behave well. Staff offer praise as a behaviour management strategy, and this helps to boost children's self-confidence and self-esteem.

Children play in a safe, warm and welcoming environment. They learn to manage simple tasks for themselves and develop self-care skills. Young children gain confidence to explore their play environment and choose from the different activities available to them. Children rest and sleep according to their different needs, and staff meet children's care needs well.

Children are physically active every day. They learn about food that helps to keep them healthy. For example, when they eat their packed lunches, staff ask them to talk about the healthiest foods in their boxes and eat these first.

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

• Significant improvements have been made since the last inspection. The provider, who is also the manager, and the staff team have worked together and with representatives of the local authority to successfully address all the actions that were raised.
• Staff observe and assess each child's level of development. They ensure that children are challenged effectively with use of this information and knowledge on children's interests. Children make good progress and are well prepared for the move on to school. Staff work with parents to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the additional support that they need. Staff engage parents in their children's development and learning, both in the setting and at home.
• Children make good progress physically. Staff caring for babies and children under two years encourage them to make marks on a large white board that is attached to the wall. Staff identify that the large movements these young children make and the core control that is necessary for good balance leads to them developing good handling skills. All children play with toys that support them in developing these skills, and this helps older children to develop good pencil control.
• Children learn about the natural world. Older children explore for minibeasts in the natural corner of the outdoor play area. They use magnifying glasses to see the effect of frost on spiders' webs. They plant and grow seeds and learn about life cycles, such as through watching a caterpillar change to a chrysalis and then a butterfly. Many children are interested in dinosaurs, and they are fascinated when a staff member brings her pet bearded dragon lizard into the setting. They patiently wait for their turn to touch the lizard.
• Older children play with sand in the outdoor area. On a very cold day, it has frozen. They recall a previous activity when they melted ice with water, and they decide that if they add warm water to the sand, it will soften. Children enjoy the success as they mix water in the sand.
• Babies and children aged under two years enjoy making marks when staff cover a low-level table with flour. Some are content to explore the texture and make marks with their fingers, and some manoeuvre cars through the flour and notice the marks made by the wheels. However, staff do not consider ways to provide any additional challenge or sensory exploration for the older ones in the group.
• Children make good progress in their communication and language development. Staff are alert to children who need additional support, and they use a speech and language toolkit to assess children and then ensure that early intervention is provided to help children make the best progress.
• Staff support children's mathematical and literacy development effectively. Older children learn that print carries meaning and that sounds link to letters. They understand that numerals are labels for different quantities and name a range of different shapes. Children enjoy listening to stories and enthusiastically join in with repeated parts.
• Policies and procedures are inclusive, and some practice helps children to gain an understanding of diversity. However, practice is not fully effective in helping children to learn about traditions and communities beyond their own.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider ways to adapt sensory and mark-making activities for the group of children aged under two years, to provide a greater challenge for the older children in the group
• provide more opportunities for children to learn about similarities and differences regarding cultures, traditions and families beyond their own.