Apley Village Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children make good progress in their development from their individual starting points, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

They gain secure communication skills. Older children use language confidently to express their good ideas, such as describing cooking ingredients. For example, they explain how toast looks like chocolate and clearly describe how it smells.

Younger children communicate their needs and wishes well and staff successfully help them to develop their vocabulary. Staff encourage children who are bilingual to use their other languages as they play. Children are happ...y and secure, and enjoy the time they spend at the nursery.

Babies form close bonds with staff, who are nurturing and attentive to each child's individual needs. This ensures that children are always comfortable, and staff meet their care needs well, including any allergies or dietary requirements they have. Children are well motivated and engage in activities that interest them.

Two-year-old children concentrate as they sort shapes and place them onto the correct pile according to colour. Babies enjoy using various tools to mash and stir mushy peas. Children gain confidence in their own abilities, such as at mealtimes and during toileting.

Staff have high expectations and children behave well. Younger children learn to share and take turns. Pre-school children play together harmoniously and staff help them to learn how to resolve any conflicts they have.

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

The nursery is led by a strong management and leadership team. They invest well in their staff and have a high regard for their welfare and professional development. The manager oversees the quality of teaching and children's learning experiences effectively.

For example, following recent monitoring, the manager and staff have reviewed and enhanced the opportunities to support children's mathematical understanding. The manager provides all staff with the coaching, guidance and training they need to continue to develop their good teaching skills.Leaders reflect well on the quality of the nursery and have a clear vision for the future.

They identify areas to develop to effectively ensure continuous improvement. For example, they plan to enhance even further the already good opportunities for children's outdoor play experiences.Staff make good use of their observations of children and their assessment information, and overall, plan well for their learning.

An effective key-person system means that staff have a secure understanding of children's needs. Room leaders have a strong overview of each child's planning to help provide continuity and ensure that staff target children's next steps in learning. Although staff plan activities and the learning environment well, on occasion they do not fully extend older children's play experiences to provide them with the highest level of challenge.

Staff provide children with quality interactions and enhance their play skilfully. However, during some adult-led activities in the baby room, staff do not maximise opportunities for babies to play and explore in their own way.Leaders and staff have good partnerships with parents.

Staff engage parents well in children's learning and regularly exchange information about their achievements at home and in the setting. Staff work closely with other professionals involved in children's care to implement targeted plans for children with SEND. All children are well prepared for their eventual move to school.

Staff have created an exciting learning environment which captures children's interest and imaginations, particularly outdoors. For example, two-year-old children eagerly explore ice cubes and creatures that live in cold climates. They enjoy creating animal footprints in snowy scenes.

Pre-school children confidently recreate familiar roles and experiences as they develop storylines in 'Santa's grotto'.Children make progress with their mathematical understanding and literacy skills. Pre-school children correctly identify the sounds they can hear at the start of words and make simple calculations.

Staff provide younger children with good mathematical models as they play. Younger children eagerly experiment with mark making. They enjoy handling books and listening to stories.

Children learn about good hygiene routines and healthy food choices. They gain an understanding of keeping themselves safe, such as the dangers associated with roads. Children benefit from regular opportunities to exert themselves physically and to be adventurous.

This includes balancing on tyres, splashing in puddles and climbing up muddy banks and trees. Staff help children to learn about their local community and provide children with a variety of new and valuable experiences, such as a bus ride.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in safeguarding matters. Leaders and staff have a good understanding of how to protect children from harm. They understand the procedures to follow if they identify any concerns about a child's welfare.

Staff know what to do should they have concerns about the conduct of a colleague. Leaders follow robust recruitment procedures to ensure the suitability of all staff. Staff are vigilant about children's safety and supervise them well.

Staff implement the correct procedures relating to administering medication to children. Leaders have effective systems in place to ensure that unauthorised people cannot enter the premises.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review and enhance adult-led activities in the baby room to maximise opportunities for babies to play and explore in their own way nidentify where activities can be extended and enriched even further to provide older children with a greater level of challenge.

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