Kangaroo Pouch Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children at this nursery are happy and show confidence when expressing their needs. Staff provide opportunities, such as circle time, which give children the chance to develop their thinking and articulate their ideas in group situations.

The curriculum is well thought out and based on teaching children to develop a strong foundation of skills that can be built on, preparing them for their eventual move to school. Staff understand the curriculum and plan activities based on children's interests. They know children well and find out what they do outside of nursery. Staff help children to recall experiences they have at home. For example, they talk to children about the cars their parents drive and discuss the ways in which they travel to nursery.

Children follow routines and listen to instructions from staff. They are reminded of behaviour rules and learn to share toys with other children. Staff support children to make friends and encourage them to join in play with one another. They talk to children about their feelings and label emotions for them. They also help children to develop a sense of empathy and understand how their behaviour affects others.

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

• Leaders have worked hard to help staff understand and implement the nursery curriculum. Staff plan focused activities to teach children the skills they need to learn. However, they do not yet fully understand how to make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning even further, particularly during times of free play. As a result, some children lose interest in activities quickly and are not always motivated to continue their learning. That said, children do make progress.
• Leaders implement robust recruitment procedures. They undertake appropriate checks to ensure the suitability of staff, making contact with relevant external agencies and previous employers.
• Leaders meet regularly with staff and support them to develop their knowledge and skills further. They plan training days based on the improvements they want to see across the nursery. They complete learning walks with staff and monitor the impact that training has had on practice across the nursery. They ask staff questions and encourage them to share what they have learned with other members of the team. Leaders are reflective and constantly evaluate the experiences being offered to children. They create and implement improvement action plans. This helps to continually improve practice across the nursery.
• Staff are responsive to children and provide comfort when they are upset. They recognise when children are hungry and tired and attend to their needs. However, during parts of the daily routine, there are times when staff are focused on following the process of the routine rather than being fully aware of the emotional well-being of children, especially during care practices. For example, children's hands and faces are quickly wiped after lunch by staff without warning. This does not fully support children to feel valued or promote a positive sense of self.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Leaders and staff identify delays in children's development and act swiftly to ensure they receive the support they need. They create plans to address the areas where children need support and implement targeted strategies to help children make progress. They liaise with other services to ensure that support for children is coordinated.
• Staff support children to be independent. Younger children have opportunities to learn from their peers as they watch them clear their own plates and cutlery away after mealtimes. Babies are supported to feed themselves and use cutlery from a young age.
• Parents comment positively about the nursery and the care that it provides. They say that their children are happy and making progress. They have regular conversations with their children's key person and know how to support their learning further at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide staff with the support they need to fully understand how to extend children's learning even further
• support staff to enhance their awareness of children's emotional needs during personal care practices, to help them feel valued.