Caring Kindergartens

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff warmly welcome children on arrival and they settle with ease at their chosen activity. Staff are attentive, kind and form close bonds with the children they care for. Babies play and learn in a calm, relaxing environment. They confidently seek out their trusted adult for comfort when needed and enjoy close interactions, such as sitting on staff's laps to listen to a story being read. Staff help children to learn how to be responsible for their own safety. For example, in the pre-school, children know they must walk up and down the stairs holding the handrail.

Children enjoy their time in the nursery and demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. They are curious and happy to try new things. Children are provided with a wide range of activities that support them to use their senses and be creative. They draw shapes and the letters of their name in sand, feel the texture of shaving foam and dry pasta with their hands and are curious to see what happens when they use a pipette to add drops of paint to water and foam. Children play well together and close bonds have formed with their friends. They are learning to share and take turns. For example, children understand that they must wait until the child before them leaves the garden slide before sliding themselves.

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

• There is a strong focus on developing children's independence and promoting their self-care skills as they prepare for their life ahead. This learning is sequenced well right from the baby room, where babies are encouraged to find their cup and begin feeding themselves. Older children serve themselves at mealtimes and learn to clear away and wash their plates and cups after use. They toilet independently and snuffle stations placed throughout the nursery encourage children to wipe their noses and faces with tissues, when required, throughout the day. This helps children to take responsibility for their own care needs. Furthermore, staff help children to begin to understand why oral health is important.
• Staff know all the children well. They plan for children's learning, helping to build on what they know and can do in preparation for starting school. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals, when children require additional support in their learning. Overall, staff demonstrate good teaching skills and an understanding of how children learn. Staff engage and support children during activities to help them learn and achieve new skills. However, some staff do not always recognise when they need to adapt their teaching to fully challenge and extend children's learning.
• Singing and stories are a key part of daily practice, helping to promote children's communication and language skills. Staff regularly sing to babies, especially at transition times in the routine, helping to calm and relax them. Babies listen intently and some begin to copy the actions of staff as they sing. They clap themselves and cheer, expressing their enjoyment.
• Older children demonstrate good communication skills; they are articulate and ask questions to help expand their knowledge. They confidently use language to express their wants and needs. However, on occasions during activities, some staff tend to ask children too many questions in quick succession and give little time to answer. This does not allow children time to process what is being asked and respond, and at times can be overwhelming.
• Partnerships with parents are a real strength of the nursery. Close relationships have formed with parents and there is a consistent two-way flow of information throughout their children's nursery life. Staff ensure parents are well informed about different aspects of child development, such as the benefits of messy play, how babies develop and school expectations, in face-to-face sessions. This helps them to complement and support learning at home. Parents say they are very happy with the care provided for their children.
• Leaders have clear systems in place to evaluate the nursery and the practice of staff to ensure children receive a high level of care. After a recent incident, risk assessments for children with allergies was thoroughly reviewed and further steps implemented to ensure children only receive foods appropriate for them. Staff working in the setting feel listened to and supported; and good consideration is given to their happiness and well-being. Staff engage with consistent professional development opportunities that help to extend their knowledge and skills.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to understand how to consistently extend children's learning
• give children more time to respond to questions and develop their thinking skills.