Bright Horizons Kingston Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff take great care to help babies to feel secure in the nursery. They talk with parents to find out about babies' sleeping and feeding routines, which they follow in the nursery. Staff get to know children's likes and dislikes. They link activities to children's interests, which children enjoy thoroughly. Staff value each child highly, speak to children in a gentle tone of voice and use lots of eye contact. They have high expectations of children and manage their behaviour in positive ways. Children behave well.

All children make good progress and gain useful skills in preparation for school. Staff help children to gain good physical skills. They support babies to pull themselves up on frames and climb up low platforms. Older children enjoy the challenges of obstacle courses, where they jump, balance on planks and weave between cones. Children gain good physical skills. Staff support children's mathematical development well. Older children explore shapes as they build models. Staff teach children how to count by singing number songs and rhymes. They teach children mathematical language to describe size and weight. This helps children to develop good mathematical skills. Staff help children to understand about difference. For example, they read multicultural stories and discuss and learn about special religious events, such as Diwali.

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

• Staff support children's creative development through a variety of stimulating activities. For instance, children enjoy exploring the textures and colours of fresh leaves, bark, acorns and twigs in a tray. Staff play the ukulele and introduce the instrument to children, who take turns to play it. All children enjoy creating pictures using different tools and materials, such as crayons, chalk and paint. They develop good creative skills.
• Children gain good independence skills. Staff teach younger children how to feed themselves, while older ones serve themselves and pour drinks at mealtimes. All children help to tidy away toys after they play. Staff teach children how to share and to take turns, for instance, while taking part in organised group games.
• Staff have good partnerships with parents and provide daily updates on children's well-being and progress. They do this in flexible ways, such as through daily verbal feedback and secure electronic messaging. Staff provide effective ways for parents to support their children's learning. For instance, parents borrow home-learning bags that contain games and books to support children's learning and development at home.
• The provider supports and monitors staff well. They have regular individual meetings with staff to review and support their work. The provider ensures that staff have opportunities to develop their skills and practice, for example, by attending a range of training courses. For instance, staff have attended a course on developing children's communication skills, which has led to better outcomes in this area.
• The provider has a good knowledge of the nursery's strengths and weaknesses and sets relevant goals for improvement. For example, there are plans to nurture children's curiosity for learning through using natural resources.
• Staff are vigilant about children's safety. They teach children good safety awareness through use of the nursery mascot, a soft toy called 'Candyfloss'. Staff use this toy to remind children how to use scissors with care and caution. Staff check indoors and outdoors each day to reduce the risk of hazards. The provider carries out a series of background checks on staff as part of the recruitment process.
• Children gain a very good understanding of the world. For example, staff show children how to carry out sinking and floating activities using different objects. They teach children why some objects float or sink. Staff plant and grow vegetables and herbs in the garden with children and teach them where food comes from. Staff show children how to make recycled paper from old cardboard, and children learn about how to care for the world.
• Overall, staff support children's communication, language and literacy well. They read books and use a good range of story props, such as puppets, to tell stories to children in interesting ways. Staff sing action songs and rhymes with children to support their communication skills. However, staff do not teach older children more ambitious vocabulary to enhance their language skills.
• Children enjoy the freshly prepared, nutritious meals and snacks. However, staff do not develop children's understanding of the value of eating well.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• introduce more ambitious vocabulary for older children to enhance their language skills further
• develop children's understanding of the value of eating well.