JJ's Kiddycare

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show a high level of involvement in activities. They are physically active and manage risks in their play. For example, pre-school children build and construct when they play with large soft-play shapes. They climb onto the shapes and say, 'Ready, steady, go,' before they jump off safely. Children work cooperatively as a team and praise their friends' achievements by clapping their hands. They show kindness to their friends, for example toddlers find their friends' water bottles for them so they can keep hydrated.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well by staff. For example, staff show children pictures to help them understand the routines in the day. Staff support children to extend their knowledge. For example, when children find pictures of birds, staff name the bird, for example 'puffin'. Children develop their interests further and pretend to feed the bird, showing their imaginative skills. Children solve problems when they play in water. They work together as a team to make water flow down tubes. They laugh with their friends and show excitement when the water reaches the bottom. Behavioural expectations are embedded throughout the setting. For example, children quickly respond to staff's approach to help them to behave positively. As a result, young children quickly listen and follow their instructions.

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

• Staff have very high expectations of children's behaviour. Children, including those with SEND, regulate their own behaviour effectively. For example, they take themselves to a 'safe haven den' which is a quiet area. Children demonstrate mutual respect for staff and peers. They follow instructions consistently and encourage their peers to do so. Children's behaviour is exemplary.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to be creative. For example, children play on a real boat in the garden. Staff encourage children to solve problems as they build and construct when they create their own boats. Staff extend this further and introduce treasure maps for children to find buried treasure. However, not enough is done consistently to monitor the impact of planned activities and to recognise how children can develop their learning further.
• Staff support children's emotional well-being effectively, particularly when they first start. They find out information about children's prior learning from parents. Staff use this knowledge to provide activities to support children's interests. This helps children to become familiar with the environment and to develop their confidence.
• Partnerships with parents are effective to support a united approach to helping children to progress. Staff invite parents to come into the setting to play alongside children. They inform parents about children's development and what they need to learn next. Parents say that they feel supported with the advice they are given about how children learn.
• Staff understand the sequence in which children develop their self-care skills. For example, staff show babies how to use a spoon when they eat. Older children are provided with opportunities to manage portion sizes and to serve themselves at mealtimes.
• The manager and staff place a high priority on supporting children's communication and language skills. Staff use professional development opportunities to extend their knowledge of how to support children with this aspect of learning. For example, they sing songs, read stories and use sign language to support children's understanding of words and their speaking skills. However, the manager does not support new staff well enough to ensure that they fully support children's learning to the highest level.
• Staff provide opportunities for children to learn skills for their move on to school. For example, children who attend pre-school change into different clothes independently before going outside for physical activity.
• The manager supports staff's well-being. She checks in with staff regularly and provides an open door so that staff can speak to her at any time. Staff say that the manager is supportive and empathetic. This helps to create a positive atmosphere in the nursery.
• Staff encourage children to follow their interests and to be resilient. For example, when toddlers use containers to carry water from one area of the nursery to another, they sometimes become frustrated. Staff give children encouragement to keep trying and celebrate their achievements, helping to raise children's self-esteem.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the support for new staff to ensure that teaching practice is of a consistently high quality
• help staff to identify the impact of their planning and to recognise how to build further on children's learning.