Caring Hands Nursery And Kindergarten

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery eagerly. Staff are on hand to greet all children and teach them important skills, such as where to hang their coats. Children settle with ease as they quickly engage in exciting opportunities. All staff share high expectations for what children can achieve.

Children get off to a good start. They benefit from a well-planned and ambitious curriculum. Staff have clear intentions about the vital skills that children need to learn. They work together as a strong team to plan activities that build on what children know and need to learn next. There is a strong focus on developing children's communication skills. Children frequently access high-quality books and listen attentively to stories. They learn to express their ideas and thoughts clearly as staff give them time to think things through before responding. Children spend much of their time absorbed in high-quality play, building their concentration and determination to complete chosen tasks. For example, they persevere in building their 'tallest' tower together.

Children behave well. They delight in their achievements when staff praise them, for example when they remember to use their manners. Parents praise staff highly and particularly appreciate the thoughtful support they consistently receive. The manager has adapted the communication methods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These include using the nursery app where parents can access detailed observations about their children's learning and continue it at home.

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

• The manager is an extremely good role model, particularly for teaching techniques. Staff feel supported, and they are enthusiastic about their work. They receive regular supervision sessions, where they can discuss their professional development and any concerns about children in their care. The manager gives training good priority to ensure that staff's knowledge and skills are up to date.
• The manager has strong systems in place for monitoring the nursery. She works with staff to regularly assess the progress that children make. The manager and staff have a precise overview of children's capabilities. They diligently make sure that children have lots of chances to learn and practise skills.
• Staff promote the nursery's 'golden rules' that helps the children to learn about staff's expectations of their behaviour. When children struggle to resolve minor conflicts, staff provide positive language and teach children to empathise with each other's feelings. These strategies contribute effectively towards a calm and productive environment.
• The manager has been proactive in adapting the curriculum to respond to the
• COVID-19 pandemic. For example, she recognised during the pandemic that some children had fewer chances to be active. Therefore, staff have prioritised children's physical skills and well-being. Children are provided with hot, nutritionally balanced meals. They gain good physical skills when they visit local parks and playgrounds. Children learn to control their movements and develop agility, for example, as they learn to kick and catch balls.
• Children share strong relationships with staff and seek them out for reassurance when needed. They build firm friendships as they learn to share and take turns, for example when they play 'shopping' games in a group.
• Most staff challenge children's capabilities and teach children how to become independent. Older children ably pour their own drinks and serve themselves at lunchtimes. Some children get themselves ready for outdoor play. However, occasionally, some staff eagerly help children complete important tasks, such as putting their coats on, without allowing children to have a good go.
• Staff work in effective partnership with parents and other professionals to ensure that children receive good support. They gather detailed information about those children who speak English as an additional language and those who have additional needs. Children hear their home language spoken in the nursery as many staff share the same dialects and languages. Staff also repeat pertinent words in children's home language that parents provide. They recognise how this builds children's confidence in speaking English words. However, they do not extend the words they use and so continue to build children's vocabularies in English.
• Staff maximise every opportunity to use mathematical language. Children learn to understand number in small manageable steps. For example, they count the number of stairs as they climb to the first floor. Staff repeat activities such as number and action songs. They introduce language to help children compare size, for example 'big, bigger, biggest' as they role play with dough.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support all staff to help children to learn important self-help skills, such as how to dress for outdoor play
• extend the opportunities for children who speak English as an additional language to hear more words from home so they can increase their vocabulary and confidence in speaking in English.