kGems Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate they are happy at this nursery. They portray a sense of belonging. Staff provide a nurturing environment, which helps babies and children move smoothly into the nursery from home and encourages them to form warm relationships with familiar adults and peers.

Leaders and staff take advantage of the nursery's unique outdoor space and utilise it to offer a range of learning experiences for children. Children absorb themselves as they play and explore with confidence in the natural surroundings. For example, they excitedly uncover areas to hunt for bugs and proudly create flower gardens. Staff provide a good selection of resources indoors and organise the environment well overall. This helps babies and children to move around independently and access play that interests them.

Adults are positive role models. They listen to children attentively and accommodate their interests. This teaches children to respect each other and acquire lifelong social skills. Children happily share, take turns and play cooperatively together. They behave well.

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

• Staff know what they want children to learn. They provide a curriculum based on child-initiated and adult-led experiences. They provide a good variety of interesting activities, which children are eager to explore. Children are enthusiastic, keen to take part in the day's events and are motivated to learn, helping them to make progress.
• Children play at their own pace, and staff do not rush them to move on to the next part of the routine. They provide a calm learning environment, which helps children to remain deeply engaged in their learning.
• Children engage in learning opportunities through real-life experiences. For example, they help to grow herbs and plants in the garden and use real fruits and vegetables to cook their imaginary meals.
• Children gain good independence skills. Staff work in partnership with parents to help babies wean off the dummy and bottles. Toddlers learn to use the toilet independently. Children learn to hang up their own bag and coat and use cutlery to feed themselves.
• Children benefit from routine story times, which supports their reading skills. They get to re-enact their favourites, such as 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', which embeds their learning. However, children have little opportunity to physically handle books, to develop a further love of reading and extend their early literacy skills.
• Staff create an inclusive environment, in which children's individuality is valued well. Children learn about cultural festivals and national events, such as the coronation of the king. This helps children to have regard for others and value their wider, diverse community.
• Parents are very complimentary about the nursery. They feel well informed about their children's learning through the nursery's digital app and are happy with their children's progress.
• Staff feel well supported by managers and are happy in their roles. They have access to training to extend their knowledge. Staff access support from the local authority. They work in partnership to develop the quality of provision at the nursery and to meet the specific needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Overall, staff promote children's communication and language development well. Staff babble with babies, and older children enjoy stories. However, staff miss opportunities to engage with children in meaningful conversations, particularly during snack and mealtimes, to extend their communication skills even further.
• Staff are vigilant when children move between the indoor and outdoor environments and deploy themselves effectively. This ensures they are on hand to support children as they play together and teach them to risk assess. For example, they explain to children why some plants are safe to touch, as they are 'smooth and soft', while others are not because they are 'sharp and spiky'.
• Staff support children well to develop strong physical skills. Children display agility as they run, jump and ride tricycles around the garden.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide daily opportunities for children to handle books, to extend their early reading skills further
• provide more opportunities for children to take part in meaningful conversations with adults and peers, to extend and develop their communication skills.