Top Tots Day Nursery MLC Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle easily. Staff build strong relationships with children from the start, such as through settling-in visits. They respond sensitively when children need reassurance. For example, during the inspection, a staff member and a new child spent time quietly and warmly interacting. This helped the child to feel safe and enjoy their play.

Children enjoy varied resources, activities, and outings, which offer them new experiences, such as swimming and nature walks. Staff implement a good quality curriculum. They mainly provide effective support to children. Staff and leaders have identified and taken steps to support areas of children's development, which may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Children receive strong support to develop their understanding of how to behave and interact with their friends, such as sharing. In addition, some toddlers make good or better progress in their language development. For example, some toddlers learn to use a variety of vocabulary and descriptive words, such as 'fantastic'.

Staff identify children who may need extra help in their learning. They understand these children's needs and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. They help children move forward in their learning and development, such as through using individual education plans. Leaders and staff use additional funding thoughtfully to support individual children's unique needs. This includes purchasing resources to help children recognise and manage their own feelings and emotions.

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

• Staff understand their responsibilities to support children with SEND. They recognise the importance of supporting children while they wait to see professionals. Staff monitor children's progress through regular assessments. They work with parents to identify any developmental concerns and to provide a consistent approach to support children's needs. Staff use a range of strategies with children, such as 'now and next' picture cards, to promote their understanding of the day. They use physical exercises to help children develop their tongue and facial muscles to support their speech development.
• Staff receive termly supervision meetings to discuss their key children, practice, and professional development needs. They complete regular training, such as through an online system. Leaders work alongside staff to help build on their practice. Overall, room leaders provide an effective role model to other staff. However, at times they do not always guide staff as well as possible. On occasions, some staff focus on other tasks and not fully on the children. This includes times when young children eat their snack. In addition, staff do not always recognise or quickly respond when some children drift between activities. This does not fully promote all children's engagement in their play and learning.
• The manager supports staff with sensitivity and gives their well-being careful consideration. This results in a positive working environment for staff. Staff, including apprentices, say they feel they receive good support in their roles from the beginning. There is a clear induction process, which includes relevant training, such as safeguarding.
• Staff create a welcoming environment with a broad range of activities and resources. Children develop their skills and knowledge through focused activities. For instance, 'welcome' group times promote their listening and communication skills effectively. Staff encourage children to recall their knowledge during activities, such as size and numbers. Generally, staff implement the curriculum intentions well to support children's learning, development, and good progress. Although, children develop some good independence, at times, not all staff enhance children's developing skills consistently.
• Leaders and staff understand the importance of working positively with parents, professionals, and schools. Staff provide ongoing feedback to parents about children's time at nursery. They hold regular meetings to discuss children's progress and provide information about their next steps in learning, to help parents support this at home. Teachers are invited in to meet children in an environment where they feel confident and comfortable. Staff provide information to teachers to support children's successful move to school. In addition, staff work with parents to help prepare children for school.
• Children benefit from being cared for in a calm atmosphere. Staff create quiet spaces for children to relax and feel safe, such as within the pre-school room. Children receive positive praise and encouragement from staff. This helps them to gain confidence effectively. Staff guide children's behaviour sensitively, explaining to them about the potential impact of any behaviours on their friends. Children learn to make their own decisions, which staff support and respect.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• build further on room leaders' skills to enable them to guide and support staff more effectively, to help promote children's learning and care needs to a consistently good or better level
• enhance children's developing independence and self-care skills to support them more consistently to try and do things for themselves.