The Bath House Children's Community Centre

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children play in an environment that fosters their creativity and sparks their imaginations. Staff plan the environment around the organisation of the curriculum. Children help to care for the many healthy plants, which bring greenery and nature to the indoor spaces. They enjoy group activities, such as painting, construction and physical play in a variety of open spaces. Staff carefully provide nooks where children can find calmer, more-enclosed spaces. Outside in the garden, children have further opportunities to climb, slide and enjoy messy play. Staff organise activities in the flexible outdoor space to support children's physical skills.

There is a big welcoming kitchen at the heart of the nursery. The chef cooks fresh, nutritious food daily. Children take turns to sit at the table in the kitchen at mealtimes, where they see the kitchen team at work. Children eat heartily and many ask for seconds. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children say 'please' and 'thank you', and behave kindly towards their peers and adults. They are happy and content. Children respond positively to the interesting and challenging activities that staff organise.

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

• As children progress, they develop the skills that they need to support the next stage of their learning. Staff consistently provide children with imaginative and high-quality experiences. Staff are well qualified and experienced. They offer children the help and support that they need to stay focused. Children are eager and confident learners, and they actively participate in activities throughout the day.
• Babies quickly get used to the nursery routine. They happily join their peers during circle time, and participate in songs and rhymes with their friends. Young babies wave and clap to show enjoyment. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure, and have a sense of belonging within their group.
• Staff provide interactive story times for older children. They support children to take turns, and ensure that every child is given time and encouragement when it is their turn to speak. Children use their creative skills to help create props to accompany the books they read. For example, children create a large underwater scene for their sea creatures. Children develop a love of reading and secure early communication skills.
• Overall, children are well supervised. However, at times when there are transitions between different areas of the nursery, staff are not deployed as effectively. For example, after lunch, some children go to sleep while others stay awake. This means that children are not consistently supported in their learning throughout the day.
• Children conduct themselves well throughout the day. They play together and talk respectfully to each other and adults. All children are expertly supported to learn to manage their feelings and emotions. This helps them to make friends and participate fully in activities.
• The care and support that staff offer children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a key strength of the nursery. Staff respond to individual children's needs and take swift, meaningful action to provide tailored support. Staff work effectively with parents and other professionals involved in children's care. Children successfully develop the skills they need for their future learning, including starting school.
• By the time children reach the pre-school room, they can put on their coats, manage their personal hygiene, tidy up, and listen to instructions. Staff support children's independence extremely well from a very young age. The patience and support that staff provide early on in the baby room help children to make rapid progress in their independence.
• Staff access training for professional development and receive support to improve their knowledge at weekly team meetings. Managers and room leaders are confident with the supervision arrangements they provide for staff. However, while staff agree that supervision meetings are very helpful, they would like to have more opportunities to talk about their workload and well-being. This would allow staff time to reflect on the work they do and ensure children's individual plans are precisely targeted.
• Parents say that they are very happy with the care their children receive. They are highly complimentary about the food provided and describe the nursery as a nurturing environment. Parents comment that staff share information with them when they collect children at the end of the day. They highly recommend the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review staff deployment to ensure that children are consistently supported at all times during the day
• ensure that staff get the support and coaching they need to extend their practice further and ensure children's interests are promoted to the highest level.