Chatter Tots Ltd Sittingbourne

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this welcoming nursery. They settle quickly after arrival and immediately become engrossed in their chosen activities. Staff playfully interact with children and are enthusiastic in their approach. For example, they pretend to board an imaginary vehicle. Staff encourage children to engage in the back-and-forth of conversations about their intended journey and their hand-drawn maps. Children are praised for their ability to wait patiently and take turns. Staff skilfully identify children's interests and interact well to engage them purposefully in their learning.

Staff have high expectations of all children. When children struggle to manage and understand their emotions, they are supported quickly and effectively. Children's good health is positively promoted and supported by the staff, which results in better outcomes for children. For example, staff talk to parents about ensuring healthy choices in lunchboxes and offer hot, nutritious meals and snacks. Children are encouraged to make positive choices about their health and wellbeing.

Children take pride as they tend to their home-grown plants in the garden area. They are encouraged to take care of any 'minibeasts' found, and staff extend learning to support their understanding of living things. Experiences such as these inspire children's curiosity and awareness of the natural world.

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

• Leaders and staff have developed a high-quality and sequential curriculum for all children. For example, babies receive support to settle and become secure in the environment to ensure they are ready for learning. Older children develop good skills to support their transition to school. Children learn to manage tasks efficiently for themselves to develop their independence and self-confidence. Staff work well with other settings to arrange the sharing of important information about all children and their differing needs. For example, they share support plans for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Overall, children are taught to learn the rules of the nursery. For example, staff help children to share and use good manners. Some staff give clear direction to support children's understanding of expectations. However, on occasion, staff are not consistent in their approach. For instance, older children sometimes run within small areas and staff do not explain why this could be dangerous. This means that children do not fully understand what is expected of them.
• Staff ensure that children are provided with a wide range of activities, resources and experiences to develop their small-muscle skills. Children enthusiastically play with playdough. They make marks and sounds on various surfaces using a range of tools and explore water by filling and emptying containers. Leaders have ambitious plans to extend the outdoor area. This will help to further support children's physical development and spatial awareness.
• Staff enable children to make good progress with their communication and language. They use different strategies to help children to enhance their speech. For example, staff model the sounds of new vocabulary and read stories with expression. Staff interact with children during their play experiences and, at times, use simple signing to help children to understand their message. This supports children to expand their communication skills and effectively express their wants and needs.
• Staff make regular assessments of what children know and can do. This helps them to plan what children need to learn next and to close any gaps in their learning. However, although parents say that all staff are friendly and approachable, some parents have not been kept updated about their child's key person. Additionally, staff are yet to share consistent information about children's progress and how parents can build on children's learning at home.
• Leaders and room managers promote staff's understanding of the setting's approach to learning and development. They do this through regular training meetings. Leaders have effective oversight of the setting. They act swiftly in response to any weaknesses identified. For example, they recently strengthened the setting's arrangements to implement safe recruitment practices.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure strategies for promoting positive behaviour are clear and consistent so that children fully understand what is expected of them
• improve partnership arrangements with parents to ensure they know who their child's key person is and to ensure continuity of children's care and learning routines.