Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are busy and occupied in a wide range of self-chosen activities. Relationships are very positive, and children benefit from the staff's gentle and caring approach. Toddlers approach staff for reassurance when they need it, and staff's support enables children to feel relaxed, to play and to point out familiar animals in picture books. Pre-school children are encouraged to think and talk about their emotions. Staff help them to recognise and acknowledge their feelings through drawings and discussions. Staff reassure children that it is okay to feel sad sometimes and to think about things that make them happy.

Children have a positive attitude towards activities, and they are motivated and eager to explore. When staff sit with children to read stories, children crowd around to see the pictures. They thoroughly enjoy listening and repeating their favourite familiar parts, using rhyming words such as 'higher' and 'fire'. This contributes to their developing confidence and extends their vocabulary.

Children benefit from the reflective aspect of how staff implement the curriculum planning. As children experience new activities, staff plan further activities to follow from their discussions and interests about the topic. For example, after Bonfire Night, when several children had seen fireworks, they spoke about the noises they heard and created pictures. In cold weather, children talk with staff about the frost and ice and how the cold air feels.

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

• The leadership and management of the nursery are effective. The manager is supported by senior staff who work for the company. The manager works very well with the staff team. She spends significant amounts of time in the children's group rooms. This keeps her up to date and well informed about staff practice and their interaction with the children. The manager provides feedback to staff about their work and how they can continue to improve. Staff share positive comments about how the manager encourages and supports them in their work.
• Children take part in group activities that are linked to music, movement and singing. Staff understand that activities like these are to promote children's communication and listening skills, as well as their physical development. Most children join in enthusiastically. They listen to the staff when they ask them to play their instruments loudly and then quietly. However, the activity is not pitched correctly for all the children taking part, resulting in some children becoming overwhelmed and not being able to join in.
• Staff are skilled in following children's interests as they play. They give children time to explore and add resources that provide children with different experiences. For example, babies enjoy crawling through the tunnel and tumbling into the ball pond. Staff add shredded paper, and babies show delight as they grab handfuls, drop it, and watch it fall. They laugh as they throw the paper out of the ball pond. However, on occasion, staff do not recognise children's emerging interests as they play and do not use these to extend children's learning.
• The effective use of simple sign language in the nursery helps babies and toddlers communicate. Staff say words and use the corresponding sign throughout children's play and during daily routines. Children quickly learn the signs and use them at mealtimes, such as to indicate that they want 'more, please' and to share when they have finished. Pre-school children are effective communicators, who engage in detailed conversations with the staff.
• Staff work effectively with parents. They provide detailed handover information when parents come to collect their children about how they have been and the activities they have enjoyed. Managers take note of any concerns parents raise and make every effort to resolve these to ensure that children's needs continue to be met.
• Information gathered from parents about their children helps staff to understand the experiences children have. Staff offer activities that widen children's experiences. For example, children who have fewer opportunities to play outdoors are encouraged to do so. All children attending this nursery enjoy daily outside play, experiencing the different seasons and benefitting from fresh air.
• Staff actively promote children's developing independence. Children make choices about what they do, and staff respect their wishes. For example, children know when it is lunchtime, and, within a certain time frame, they can come to the table when they choose. Staff help children to serve themselves using large spoons. This encouraging and supportive approach from staff helps children to feel safe and develop a sense of well-being at the nursery.
• A consistent approach from staff and clear explanations help children understand what is expected in relation to their behaviour. Children behave well and listen to staff when they gently, but clearly, remind them to share, work together and think about their friends.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the planning and organisation of musical group activities to ensure they take account of individual children's abilities and levels of well-being, to help them be meaningful for all children taking part
• build on staff's awareness of how to extend children's learning by consistently following their emerging interests during play.