Westfield Centre Children's Day Care

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff use the daily story well to connect and enhance children's learning. For example, children pick up and stack cardboard boxes on top of each other to build a house. Staff encourage the use of bubbles to enhance children's hand-eye coordination skills and to exercise their tongue and facial muscles. They use age-appropriate words that help children to learn how to compare size, such as big and bigger. Staff repeat lines from the daily story as they engage in role play with the children. For example, they say, 'I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house down.' Children pretend to speak to their 'mummy' and the big bad wolf on the phone, while also typing on the keyboard. Children are happy. They enjoy the purposeful play that builds on what they already know and can do. Children develop the skills they will need for their move on to school.

Children are safe in this welcoming nursery. Staff consider the curriculum for personal, social and emotional development well. They place a strong focus on helping children to understand and regulate their own emotions. Staff also encourage children to learn about different behavioural needs between themselves and others and how to respond appropriately. They promote positive attitudes to learning. Staff prepare children well for life in an inclusive society.

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

• Since the last inspection, the experienced manager has made vast and improved changes to policies, procedures and practice. For example, secure recruitment and induction procedures ensure children are cared for by suitable staff who understand their role. The manager has worked closely with local authority advisors to complete improvement plans. In addition, she works alongside an experienced deputy manager. Together, they continue to reflect on all aspects of practice and support each other to make and secure improvements that benefit children.
• The deputy manager is also the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). She leads this role with passion and expertise. The SENCo organises play for children on the pathway to diagnosis to encourage participation. For example, she presses the button on the spinning top and says 'ready'. Children wait and then tap the SENCo's face to direct her to say the next word, 'steady' and then again for 'go'. Parents report that they have seen a dramatic change in their children's non-verbal communication skills. The SENCo supports children very well to close gaps in their learning.
• The manager has introduced supervisions of staff and there is now monitoring of her own practice in place. However, since the last inspection, a new staff team has been recruited. Therefore, supervision practice is not yet fully embedded to evaluate the teaching of the curriculum and ensure a consistently high standard across the nursery.
• Staff are very aware of low attainment levels for children's communication and language skills in the area. They welcome opportunities for professional development and have completed courses run by the local authority, such as 'Cracking Communication'. Staff use their knowledge well, overall, to support children's early language development. For example, they model grammatically correct sentences and help children to develop their vocabulary. However, at times, staff do not give children long enough to answer questions. This means children do not always have time to make connections and share their experiences and knowledge.
• Children enjoy play outside. They sit under the pergola and listen to stories. Staff encourage children to feel different material in the book as they read to them. Children enjoy searching for creatures that may be hiding under logs. Staff take children outside in all weathers. Children wear suitable waterproof clothing and shoes. They enjoy splashing in puddles before they return indoors.
• Caring staff build strong relationships with children and pay close attention to their individual needs. They help children form secure attachments and promote their emotional well-being. Children enjoy a healthy diet of fresh fruit and home-cooked meals each day. They wash their hands after coming indoors from outside play and before lunch. Children learn good hygiene practices that support independent self-care.
• Staff find out from parents what their children already know and can. They use this information to support the baseline assessment. However, staff do not yet fully gather information about children's personal experiences to enhance further the curriculum for understanding the world.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to monitor the quality of practice to enhance the teaching of the curriculum
• support staff to give children time to answer questions to allow them to think and make connections in their learning
• consider the curriculum for understanding the world to give children a rich set of experiences beyond their own.