Kangaroo Pouch Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thoroughly enjoy their time at this inviting nursery. Staff are warm and welcoming. Staff greet parents and their children at the door and help them to settle quickly into their rooms. Staff are attentive to the needs of all children. They recognise when they are tired, hungry or need support with personal care needs. Staff encourage children to have a go. They support children to try tricky tasks for themselves, such as when they navigate the hill in the garden or negotiate coming down steps. Staff offer support and guidance, with lots of praise and encouragement. Children relish the sense of achievement when they are successful with these tasks. This helps to build the children's self-esteem and confidence to try something new.

Staff plan and organise interesting activities and learning opportunities that motivate children to engage. Children enjoy trips into the local community and take part in dance classes. Staff encourage children to use their imagination and share their ideas. They support children to take turns and resolve minor conflicts with their peers. As a result, children show respect towards others and are being prepared well for their next stage in education.

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

• Leaders have effective oversight of the nursery. They manage any concerns or issues promptly. They reflect on practice and make any necessary changes to help with the continuous improvement of the nursery. There has been a recent incident where a child was accidentally given food they were intolerant to. Although leaders did not notify Ofsted of this incident, they have taken appropriate action to help prevent this from happening again.
• There have been recent staffing changes and redeployment of staff across the nursery base rooms. This means the key-person arrangements for each child have also changed. Despite communication between home and nursery, some parents are not fully aware of who the key person responsible for their child's care and education is.
• Parents speak positively of the care and education their children receive. They are regularly invited into the nursery to celebrate events and participate in activities. For example, children enjoy sports activities with males that are significant in their lives for Father's Day. This gives staff opportunities to share ideas for children to continue learning at home.
• Leaders and staff know the children very well. They gather valuable information from parents before children start. This helps to inform their baseline assessments and plan for what they want children to learn next. Children clearly demonstrate they feel safe and secure in their care and make steady progress across the different areas of learning.
• There is a structured and broad curriculum that builds on skills that children already know and can do. Staff ask well-timed questions and encourage children to share their ideas. Children, particularly the older ones, demonstrate an eagerness to learn and are highly inquisitive. Sometimes, not all staff harness the opportunity to challenge the most able children to the highest level.
• Support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong. Staff regularly assess children's progress and share any concerns with parents or other professionals. As a result, children get the early and ongoing support they might need.
• Leaders prioritise the ongoing professional development of their team. Staff feel well supported. They are happy and work well as a team. Leaders monitor staff practice through supervision and observations. They provide valuable and constructive feedback. Staff complete regular training to support them in their roles. This helps with the continuous improvement of the overall care and education they provide.
• All children enjoy daily outdoor play and fresh air. There are lots of interesting opportunities to develop their physical skills. Children have access to fresh drinking water throughout the day and eat healthy meals and snacks. Children learn to manage their personal hygiene well, and staff support with regular handwashing. Staff manage illness or administration of medication thoroughly, and appropriate parental permissions are sought. This supports the good health and well-being of children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance ways to share information with parents so they all understand who their child's key person is
• support staff to consider ways to challenge the most able children to make rapid progress in their learning.