Caring Kindergartens

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children follow an ambitious curriculum that meets their needs well. The intent for what children will learn is clear and concise. Staff encourage children to develop resilience, individuality and curiosity. This is evidently effective, as children approach their learning with enthusiasm and excitement. Staff place a strong focus on supporting children to make good progress in their communication and language skills. Children make gains in their personal, social and emotional development and are empathetic and considerate towards each other. The curriculum is successfully woven through all learning activities and well embedded in all rooms for all ages of children. Consequently, all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in their development.

Staff provide children with clear expectations for behaviour and are good role models. Children consistently behave well. Families are welcomed into the warm and friendly nursery. Parents take children to their nursery room and exchange information with their child's key person. This close working relationship helps children to settle, as staff are well informed about how well children have slept and how they are feeling.

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

• Children enjoy a broad range of activities that promote their interest and curiosity. Staff are attentive and provide timely support that encourages children to progress. They quickly identify when children's progress does not meet expectations. Staff work in partnership with other professionals to develop plans for support. This early intervention enables staff to provide consistent and well-targeted support for children. Staff are tenacious in making sure that they continually strive to provide children with a flexible and effective curriculum.
• Staff confidently promote children's communication and language skills. In the baby room, staff provide a running commentary of the daily activities, so children hear language as they play. Staff recognise, value and respond to babies' early attempts at talking. This increases their confidence in communicating. As children get older, staff read with them, sing songs and encourage two-way conversations. They get down to children's level, showing interest and asking open questions. In turn, this stimulates children's desire to talk. The nursery is a thriving hub of busy conversations. When children are non-verbal, staff find multiple ways to encourage them to express themselves and their needs.
• Children enjoy energetic physical play. They climb, using all their effort to pull themselves up and then excitedly slide down. Staff are available, encouraging them, but keep enough distance for children to try for themselves. This risk-and- challenge play encourages children to be fearless in trying new things and testing out the limits of their physical abilities.
• The provider has recently introduced more robust procedures for managing children's food allergies at the nursery. Staff double-check meals and check the temperature before serving them to children. However, the current arrangements at mealtimes do not always support children and their behaviour. This is because children sit waiting for staff to organise their meals. Some children become restless, and occasionally, they walk around with their cutlery in their mouths, drop their cups on the floor and then drink from them. This means that their good health and safety, which is otherwise always promoted excellently, is not fully supported.
• Through authentic teaching and shared learning, children observe positive representations of the rich and diverse cultures that reflect their local community and the wider world they live in. This is reflected in staff's storytelling, children's dressing-up clothing and positive, open discussions between staff and children.
• Overall, staff support children's health and well-being effectively. However, staff are not consistently vigilant in making sure that young children receive clear messages about promoting good health. Sometimes, staff are not swift in wiping children's noses and washing their dirty hands when they have been playing outdoors. Consequently, young children are not learning about reducing risks to their health, especially when they still explore the world through putting things in their mouths.
• There is a stable team of staff at the nursery who are well motivated and enthusiastic about their work. The provider encourages staff development and progression in their careers. Staff at all levels demonstrate a secure understanding about their role in keeping children safe and recognising when they might be at risk of harm. Collaborative partnerships with parents are highly beneficial for children's learning, development and well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• refine the mealtime routines so that they more effectively meet the needs of children
• provide children with clear and consistent messages so they learn about good health practice and how to reduce the risk of the spread of infection.