Happy Minds Kids Academy

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are kind, caring and genuinely interested in the children they care for. They develop trusting and secure relationships with all children. This helps children to feel safe and protected in the nursery. From the base of these secure relationships' children develop the confidence to 'have a go' as they explore the improved learning opportunities provided for them.

Children become engaged in their play and learning because staff notice and promote their interests. For example, toddlers become fascinated with throwing soft balls. Staff encourage them to share the balls as they launch them energetically and run to collect them again. Children delight in joining in with the words and actions of the jolly songs and rhymes that staff weave seamlessly into the daily routine.

Staff role model positive behaviours such as using manners and being polite. When children find it difficult to co-operate staff are quick to try and help them deal with their squabbles. Occasionally though staff are not always clear with children about the behaviour expectations of them.

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

• There have been improvements to the overall quality of the care and education since the last inspection. Following difficulties to recruit staff the provider has become increasingly dedicated to developing his own role in leading the setting alongside the committed staff team. This settled leadership has impacted positively on the well-being of the staff and consequently the quality of the outcomes for children and families.
• The provider has developed links with external professionals to help them evaluate the effectiveness of the provision and raise the quality. Staff now benefit from professional development activities such as peer observation and supervision meetings. This improves their individual performance. Staff attend training to help them understand more about child development. To this end, staff are well supported in their roles.
• There is a strong key-person system. Staff establish respectful relationships with parents and carers and gather information to use to help them form strong bonds with the children. Staff provide their key child's intimate care and carefully monitor their progress. They plan learning to support children's personal development. This means all children make good progress from their varied starting points.
• The provider has implemented a curriculum overview based on the prime areas of learning and development. Staff use the curriculum aims to plan interesting and relevant learning activities. For example, pre-school children explore a small world farm and learn about the animals and their produce. This helps children to learn new language and understand the world around them. However, staff do not always enhance older children's learning rapidly.
• Staff have developed their understanding of how to promote communication and language development. Children now benefit from many back-and-forth interactions with staff. Staff read books with enthusiasm and focus on teaching children new words. This practise helps children to understand how language works. Children develop communication and language skills appropriate to their age and stage of development.
• Children arrive at the nursery with different experiences of social situations. Staff recognise this and support children to learn to play alongside one another. Staff sensitively intervene when children have difficulty regulating their behaviour. However, not all staff possess a range of skills and strategies to help children know what is expected of them. Occasionally, children's negative behaviour impacts on themselves and others.
• Leaders create daily routines that help children to feel secure and understand the rhythm of the day. However, staff sometimes do not manage all parts of the routine effectively. For instance, children wait a long time for their meals and to go out to play. Therefore, they become distracted and at times are not fully engaged in their play and learning.
• The support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is good. Staff are quick to identify any signs that may suggest a child has additional needs. They work in partnership with parents and external professionals such as the local authority specialist teacher to ensure that children's progress is monitored, and they receive the individual support they need.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further develop the curriculum to support older children to make rapid progress
• support staff to develop effective and consistent strategies to promote positive behaviour to help children to learn what behaviour is expected of them
• support staff to manage routines effectively and keep children fully engaged in their play and learning.