Aspen House Children’s Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive at the nursery eager to start their day. They separate from their parents easily and are excited to join their friends.

Children behave well and show kindness. They volunteer to hold the door open for others, and they share resources and readily use their manners. Children know the nursery routines.

For example, toddlers and pre-school children busy themselves as they tidy away their toys ready for carpet time. At mealtimes, children use tongs and spoons to serve themselves lunch, and they carefully pour their own water. Children are patient and take turns, asking for help from staff when they need it.<...br/>
This supports children's growing independence skills.Children enjoy outside play. Babies watch with curiosity as staff blow bubbles.

They laugh as they try to catch the bubbles floating in the air. Toddlers and pre-school children confidently race around a track on scooters, safely navigating between the outdoor play equipment. Staff introduce a parachute game, which encourages children to work together.

Children hold on to the parachute and listen carefully to instructions from staff. They cooperate as they flap the parachute up and down, trying to keep the ball from rolling away. When the ball falls off, children persevere and try again.

This helps children strengthen their muscles and develop their coordination skills.

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

Parents are positive about the care their children receive. They feel that communication with staff is effective, and they can see that their children are making good progress.

Parents comment that their children have developed good social skills and have made friends. They appreciate the help staff have given them in developing strategies to manage their children's behaviour at home.Staff provide plenty of opportunities for children to practise their small-muscle skills.

This helps children to develop the muscles they need for early writing. For example, staff support babies to use spoons to scoop up couscous. Babies are inquisitive and carefully use their finger and thumb to pick up the tiny grains, enabling them to look closer.

Toddlers and pre-school children make handprints with paint. Staff provide extra challenge and show children how to use bricks to stamp paint on to paper. Children eagerly copy.

Staff generally interact well with children as they play. They carefully consider children's interests and what they want children to learn next. However, staff interactions are not consistent.

For example, staff do not always notice when quieter and less-confident children want to ask a question. In addition, staff occasionally present lots of information all at once. This does not allow children the time to think and respond before they are presented with the next piece of information.

Staff provide effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children with SEND have individual support plans that are regularly reviewed to ensure that they continue to meet their developing needs. This helps children, including children with SEND, to make good progress from their starting points.

Overall, daily routines are organised well and support children to learn. However, on occasion, children's learning is interrupted. For example, story time is interrupted by staff in the room talking loudly to each other.

Consequently, children lose focus. They start to play with toys that are nearby and begin to chat to each other. This disrupts children's learning and their ability to fully listen and engage in the activity.

Staff extend children's mathematical knowledge. For example, children roll vehicles across wooden tracks and on the floor. Staff talk to children about speed and distance.

Children eagerly find numbers around the nursery. They shout out the numbers in excitement and busy themselves as they look for more. Children beam with pride as they receive stickers for their good work, which supports their growing self-esteem.

Staff provide children with healthy meals and fresh drinking water. Managers work closely with parents to manage children's allergies and dietary requirements. Staff have a process in place to ensure this information is safely communicated across the nursery.

This includes the use of different-coloured plates, to secure the safe management for individual children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have a good understanding of the signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm.

This includes those who may potentially be at risk from radical views and ideas. Staff know the procedure to follow should they need to report a concern about a child or about another member of staff. Managers ensure safer recruitment checks are undertaken to confirm the ongoing suitability of staff working with children.

Staff undertake daily checks to ensure the outside area is safe for children to play in. Parents state their children are safe and secure.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff to further improve their interactions with children during group activities and daily interactions, to extend children's learning and build on what they already know and can do nensure story time is uninterrupted so children do not lose focus and have their learning disrupted.

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