Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and engaged in this friendly nursery. They are curious and confident to access a wide range of exciting resources and activities available to them. For example, babies learn to explore with their senses as they help to make dough. They strengthen their large-muscle movements as they mix ingredients with spatulas. They develop hand-eye coordination as they practise pouring oil and paint into mixing bowls. Older children are immersed in their creative play as they make instruments for their graduation celebrations. As a result, children develop their concentration skills and show good levels of engagement.

All children have daily access to fresh air and outdoor play. Well-designed garden areas entice children outside, where they develop their fundamental movement skills, such as jumping, balancing, running, and climbing. Children giggle with excitement as they jump onto stepping stones and imagine a volcano erupting in their role-play games. Children play cooperatively and develop friendships with their peers. When faced with challenging situations, they work together to find a solution. For example, as small toy cars roll under a cabinet, children find long objects to hook them back out. This shows resilience and determination. Staff consistently support all children to share and take turns. Overall, children's behaviour is positive.

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

• The nursery curriculum is broad and balanced, which spans all areas of learning as children transition through the nursery. Young children are supported to develop close attachments with key staff, to help them separate confidently from their parents and main carers. As their confidence grows, they develop their social, communication and physical skills. The manager recognises the importance of children developing independence prior to moving on to school. For example, children practise dressing in their clothes for physical education sessions and serving their own food at mealtimes.
• Staff gather important information from parents when children first join the nursery. Gradual settling-in sessions help staff learn about what children know and can do, to build on from the beginning. They assess children's development through progress checks, where next steps of learning are identified. Staff follow children's interests to engage them in activities that support their learning.
• The key-person approach allows staff to develop trusting relationships with children. For example, babies seek staff out for comfort and reassurance, snuggling into their arms for cuddles. This demonstrates that children feel safe and secure in their care.
• Overall, the quality of teaching is good. Staff's purposeful interactions with children during their play help to extend their learning. However, there are inconsistencies in the interactions between children and temporary staff, who do not know children as well. This means that not all staff are fully aware of children's developmental progress and, as such, are not able to support children's learning to the highest quality.
• Children make good progress in developing their communication skills. Staff introduce new words to widen children's vocabulary as they play. For example, as young children catch bubbles in the air, staff say 'catch, pop, bubble'. Children have good access to books and enjoy listening to staff read stories. Staff are creative in the support they offer to children and families who speak English as an additional language. They implement the use of sign language to provide a visual method of communication for all.
• Parents are positive about their children's time spent at this nursery. They say children's transitions from each room are 'smooth' and children are well prepared with regular visits supported by their key person. However, although they value the parent's evenings with their children's key person, parents feel that more regular face-to-face communication would help to keep them better informed about their children's next steps in learning, so they can further support their progress at home.
• The manager is reflective and offers continual training for her team. Staff benefit from regular supervisions and targeted professional development opportunities to help develop their roles and responsibilities. There is a positive support system in place for the manager.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide all staff with sufficient information about children's learning to help them make the most of their interactions with children
• develop ways to improve parent partnerships, so parents have more regular contact with their children's key person and feel more informed about their children's learning progress.