Splash Day Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at this friendly and nurturing nursery. They form positive bonds with the caring staff and engage in a wide range of stimulating and enjoyable experiences. They demonstrate confidence and a positive attitude as they arrive enthusiastically and wave goodbye to their parents. They are keen to help staff bring the milk inside and quickly engage in their chosen activities. As parents are not currently entering the building, staff greet their key children at the door and plenty of information is posted outside to keep parents informed. Staff plan the curriculum based on children's interests and work hard to make sure every child achieves well. This includes plenty of activities to help children learn outside. During daily outings, children show curiosity and interest in the natural environment. As they walk to the park, staff make full use of spontaneous opportunities to teach children about the community and environment. Staff use clear and effective questioning skills to help extend children's thinking and understanding. For example, as children show curiosity, staff explain the mechanism for the barge in the lock as it is about to proceed through the gate. They encourage the children to look up at the sky at the birds, pointing to the red kite as it flies above. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure at the nursery and on outings. They behave well and understand what is expected of them, with clear direction and positive acknowledgements from staff.

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

• Since the last inspection, leaders have worked closely with staff to make rapid improvements. This has included both in the environment and building on the team's knowledge, skills and expertise. The manager in her role as SEND coordinator works closely with staff to make sure that children receive the help they need to succeed. Staff say they are fully supported by their managers, who review their training needs with an emphasis on staff's well-being, home and work/life balance. Leaders are now supporting staff to undertake observations of each other so they can more quickly identify where to improve individual practice.
• Staff share daily information with parents about children's care, learning and development. This is also reinforced using an online system that has been well received, although some parents would like this to be more evenly distributed and timely. Key staff and the manager are currently working towards further developing this.
• Parents praise the work and dedication of the managers and staff and appreciate that this is reflected in their children's progress. They say that they have noticed progress in their children's speech and language ability since they have started at the nursery. They reflected that their children benefit from secure relationships with key staff, who know the children very well. They say that staff are kind and welcoming in their approach, including in the support they provide for parents throughout the year, but particularly when they have experienced difficult and challenging times.
• Children behave well as they play and work together harmoniously. Toddlers excitedly gather together to place the baubles on the Christmas tree and turn the lights on and off. Pre-school children work together as they wrap presents, discussing shapes and sizes as they cut and measure the wrapping paper.
• Staff place a strong emphasis on helping children to develop their confidence and well-being. They plan transitions to new rooms and share information about children's backgrounds and developmental starting points. Parents are well informed about their children's learning, including the two-year progress check. Children engage in calming activities such as yoga to help them relax before lunchtime. However, on occasions, staff do not successfully support all children's transitions between activities and routines. This means that, at times, some children become disengaged.
• Children's language and communication skills are developing well. They demonstrate their vocabulary as they confidently engage in conversation with visitors and their friends. Children are very receptive as staff communicate with them continuously. Staff use labelling and repetition as children play, including words from their additional languages.
• Babies are very well supported by staff, who interact with them sensitively and calmly. Staff make sure they offer further challenge and fully extend children's learning as they explore independently. All children have a key person in the staff team to ensure that their emotional well-being and learning needs are consistently met.
• Staff teach children how to keep themselves healthy. Parents say that their children proudly share with them at home what they have learned and tell them 'how important it is to drink water'.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• embed the system for monitoring the quality of provision, including the recently introduced opportunities for staff to observe each other to improve their practice, so that teaching is consistently of a high standard
• help staff to consider how they can support children effectively during transitions in their daily routines, so that children do not become restless and disengaged.