Kangaroo Kids Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children separate easily from their parents. They say 'goodbye' and enter the nursery eager to see what activities staff have planned and presented for the day. Younger children self-select resources at their level, such as books and toy cars. Older children ask for support to put on an apron before self-selecting what they need to use to produce a painting in the art and craft area.

Staff plan an ambitious curriculum for all children. They have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn and how they will teach them. Children behave well as staff reinforce behavioural expectations during group activities.

Staff work in partnership with parents and professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who require additional help. Local referral procedures are followed to promptly request additional support. Children with programmes or targets, such as from speech and language therapists, have strategies incorporated into planned activities to ensure that they make progress.

As the nursery does not have a garden, children enjoy daily opportunities to go for walks in the local community. They are encouraged to hold hands or to use the walking rope to stay together when outside. Older children join in discussions about what they have seen with their friends when they return to the nursery.

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

• Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have developed the curriculum effectively. Children are now separated into two areas by age, up to three years and over three years. This enables staff to provide activities that are tailored to children's individual needs. An online app is used to track children's development. Next steps are identified, which enables staff to sequence learning and build on what children already know.
• Key persons are allocated to support children as they join the nursery. Parents complete 'All About Me' forms to share information about their children's care and what they like and can do. Staff use the information to provide activities children are familiar with and interested in. Staff get to know children extremely well and start building relationships with them and their family.
• Children enjoy listening to stories. Younger children fill in gaps in familiar books and join in with repeated phrases. Older children recall what has happened and predict what is going to happen next. Discussions about books include the difference between the author and the illustrator. However, on occasions, some staff do not use interactions well enough to support children to express their thoughts and opinions.
• Younger children's transitions between activities are not consistently managed by staff. For example, all children follow hygiene routines to wash their hands before snack and mealtimes. However, there is only one sink. Therefore, while children wait, they begin to lose interest and do not carry out the task independently.
• Parents say that they feel involved in their children's learning. Recently introduced parents' evenings, face-to-face handovers, emails from the provider and an online app all contribute. Parents are reassured as they have easy access to care information. Photos and observations enable parents to see what their children are doing. Parents are beginning to use the app to share information from home by uploading photos of their children during weekends and holidays.
• Leaders and managers have engaged effectively with local authority early years advisers since the last inspection. They describe how they used the actions in the last report to develop practice. They have adapted the environment by creating two separate areas for children, which is reflected in the curriculum planning for the different age groups. Leaders say that they and the staff team have worked extremely hard.
• Staff say that they benefit from an established team and a culture of support, which they feel is promoted by leaders. They say that they are supported through regular team meetings and supervision sessions. Staff approach leaders to share thoughts and ideas. Leaders are open to staff requesting and accessing additional training. Staff feel that leaders listen to their suggestions and respond to what they have to say.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children through consistently high-quality interactions to express themselves fully
• review the planning and organisation of transitions to help all children to remain fully focused and highly engaged with the learning taking place.