Mainline Day Nursery & Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children form close attachments with their key person and show good levels of emotional well-being. Staff spend time settling new children into the nursery to help build positive relationships.

They know the children in their care well, including their likes, dislikes and what makes them unique. Overall, children of all ages are settled. They happily come into the warm and welcoming nursery and are greeted by friendly staff.

Older children quickly settle into the daily routine and confidently choose what they want to play with. Children of all ages demonstrate good communication and language skills, and this area of le...arning is supported well. Staff throughout the nursery regularly share stories and sing songs with children.

Throughout activities they provide a dialogue and show an interest in what children say. Younger children repeat familiar words and phrases in response to the positive interactions with staff. Older children talk with confidence and are keen to talk about their previous experiences.

All children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. The enthusiastic leaders and their staff are committed to their roles and responsibilities. They have high expectations for every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

They have developed a curriculum based on children's interests and what they need to learn next. Staff complete regular assessments on children's learning and development. This enables them to identify any emerging gaps and provide targeted support when needed.

Children make good progress from their starting points and demonstrate the skills they need for the future. For instance, they complete tasks independently and are keen to explore, investigate and find out new things.

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

Staff effectively embed mathematical development into children's everyday experiences.

Children use mathematical language freely in their play, such as counting the number of legs on a spider and comparing the sizes of pumpkins.Overall, staff interactions with children are good. They use effective teaching methods, such as showing, explaining and questioning to find out what children know and can do.

However, at times staff encourage children to move between the activities and do not allow them to fully benefit from uninterrupted play. Therefore, some children only spend a short time playing in a particular area, which impacts on their concentration.Leaders and staff have high expectations of children's behaviour.

Children follow the 'Golden Rules' of the nursery, which clearly set out the behavioural expectations. These include sharing, taking turns and playing cooperatively together. Children behave well and demonstrate high levels of respect for others.

Leaders and staff effectively help children to become a positive part of their local community. For example, staff and children visit local shops to purchase fruit for snack, borrow books from the library and visit soft play centres. These experiences help children to develop a sense of belonging and gain a greater understanding of their wider community and the people with it.

Overall, staff are very responsive to the children, offering cuddles and reassurance where needed. However, when staff are completing routine tasks, they are not as highly attuned to 'babies' individual needs and do not notice when they are trying to communicate with them.Staff provide children with an abundance of opportunities to learn about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyles and good oral hygiene.

Meal and snack times are a social occasion. Staff sit with children and engage in discussions as they enjoy healthy food. Outdoor play is an integral part of the daily routines and children develop good physicals skills as they play.

Partnerships with parents are good. Staff build good relationships with parents and communicate effectively with them, such as what children need to learn next and how this can be supported at home. Parents speak highly about the nursery and how happy their children are.

Leaders are committed to providing good quality care and education for all children, including children with SEND. They engage effectively with other professionals involved in children's care. This helps to support a consistent approach to children's learning and development.

Leaders engage well with their staff. They are aware of the main pressures on them and liaise regularly with them to check on their well-being. Staff work well as an effective team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children's interests first.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: review the organisation of routine tasks, so that staff are more consistently attuned to the individual needs of children provide more opportunities for children to engage fully in activities without interruptions.