Jack in the Box at Kings Langley

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive happy and excited at the setting, separating from their main carers with ease. Strong settling-in processes support children to quickly build up relationships with their key person. The staff team has an effective buddy system. This means children always have an adult in the setting who they have a trusting relationship with.

Staff create a well-thought-out environment that excites children, and they quickly become engaged. Staff use their knowledge of their key children to plan activities that ignite their curiosity. For example, a loose-parts tray encourages children to develop their imagination. Across the setting, children are always engaged. They access activities with purpose and enjoy the challenges created for them.

Children at the setting behave well and are caring and respectful to each other. Children enjoy playing together. Staff support children to learn to share and respect each other's space. Staff are calm and positive role models for children. This helps to create a warm and nurturing environment for everyone. At mealtimes, children enjoy talking to each other and the staff. They discuss how their morning has been and what they have to eat in their lunch boxes. This promotes children's communication and language development.

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

• All staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Staff have good knowledge of when to get outside agencies in. Staff successfully implement targets and use consistent strategies that support children to learn. For example, a visual timetable helps children to know what is expected of them within the setting routine. All children, including those with SEND, make good progress in their learning.
• The outside environment provides children with a large space where they can build on their physical skills and their understanding of the world around them. Children's natural curiosity leads them to find some ice while outside. Staff talk to the children about what they have found and how it came to be there. The children talk about how cold it makes their hands as it melts on them.
• Staff teach children how to keep their bodies healthy. They share healthy lunch box ideas with parents and talk to children about their food choices at lunchtime. Staff use yoga to help children develop ways of managing their breathing. They talk about how stretching can help to keep their bodies 'happy and healthy'.
• The setting prides itself on the relationships they build with children and their families right from the start. Information gathered about children's lives and learning is used by key persons to create activities that help to close any gaps in their learning. Children actively invite staff to join in their play, allowing staff to scaffold learning and embed previous learning. As a result, children are supported to make consistently good progress.
• The setting utilises the local community well to build on the experiences children gain. Based on staff's knowledge of children's previous life experiences, the setting has a visit to the local library planned. This will support children to develop a deeper love of books. The setting's Christmas show takes place at the local church, and the whole community is invited in to watch and share experiences together.
• Parents' comments about the setting are overwhelmingly positive. They talk of the high levels of communication and the large amount of information that is regularly shared. Parents enjoy the activity ideas that they receive and the parent packs that they can borrow to support their children's learning at home. Parents appreciate how approachable and caring the staff are.
• Staff work well together, and their morale is good. The manager values the staff team and provides effective support. Staff enjoy working at the nursery and say they feel valued and supported to do a good job. However, sometimes, staff do not consider how to differentiate activities to ensure that all children have rich learning opportunities. The leadership team has not sought further ways to ensure staff embed the intended curriculum and have a deeper knowledge of teaching and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to build on the already good practice, seeking further ways to enhance staff's professional development that focuses on deepening their knowledge of teaching and learning in line with the setting's intended curriculum.