Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool Downend Road

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders create a culture of inclusion that supports every child. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those with emerging needs, engage in a well-structured environment that is adapted to meet their individual requirements. For example, children enjoy one-to-one interactions as they explore nature and the different bugs in the garden. Children learn to respect the environment and to be kind to living things, such as carefully carrying a snail in their basket. Staff deploy themselves well to support children's interests and to offer 'bite-sized' learning to encourage focus and attention. Generally, staff's interactions and the training they receive are effective and supportive. For example, leaders have identified bespoke training to support staff's understanding of triggers, patterns and changes in home circumstances that may impact children's behaviour.

Those with responsibility for special educational needs take prompt action to assess children's individual requirements, liaising well with parents and carers to build on what children already know and can do. They swiftly develop support plans, regularly reviewing these, and know when to seek support from outside agencies. Leaders use funding well to provide effective support when needed, for example, to purchase spinning chairs and weighted blankets. They carefully monitor this to assess the impact on children's emotional security.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff take time to get to know their key children well. They understand how children develop and what works well for them to help them succeed. They particularly know how to support all children to develop effective communication and language skills, and this is at the forefront of the curriculum. For example, most older babies engage well in 'sing-and-sign' activities, developing effective listening and attention skills. Children become animated when they hear their favourite song, 'Five Currant Buns', and exclaim 'Oh no, gone', during the song. Staff respond well to children's enthusiasm, acknowledging their vocalisations and actions. However, they do not always encourage children well to re-engage with the activity when they become distracted.

The personalised curriculum is well designed and matched to children's interests and motivations, such as recent community events. Older children communicate their ideas well and wish to make a hot-air balloon. Staff listen and respond, valuing children's contributions as they talk about the different hot-air balloons they have seen, showing respect for other children's choice of their favourite balloon. Most children wait patiently and take turns in a very popular, focused activity. Those who find it more difficult to wait are generally supported well, with clear explanations. However, at times, there is some inconsistency in staff's interactions, such as when encouraging independence, especially when activities become very busy. Children enjoy predicting how their hot-air balloons will fly and test the wind direction as they launch them from the low-level bridge.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well from their starting points. Children develop effective communication and language skills and express themselves with confidence. Babies make independent choices about their learning and are usually supported in these choices. They access resources that interest them, such as the animal puppets, and show that they recognise each animal and can see the differences, for example, between the cow and the horse.

Children develop their mathematical skills. For example, older children recognise numerals, count the legs on different animals and match them successfully. Children of all ages show a love of books. For example, older babies choose their favourite books and handle them carefully as they turn the pages and lift the flaps, showing their curiosity.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have extremely-high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff are calm and consistent when addressing children's behaviour. They are fully aware of what works well for each child. They adapt strategies consistently well to help children understand what is expected of them, especially for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with emerging needs. For example, staff always speak to children at their level and use age-appropriate language in their explanations. This helps children understand what is expected of them, such as to use 'kind hands' and to take turns to close the stairgate.

Staff are excellent at supporting children to be respectful of resources and to be kind to their friends. For example, staff remind children not to stand on books, providing age-appropriate explanations, model how to handle books with care and will redirect children's attention, if required. There are calm transitions between play spaces which support children's emotional development, helping them feel safe and settled. Babies show positive attitudes to their learning. For example, they persevere exceedingly well to pop the circles on their fidget ball, concentrating hard. They show pride in their achievements and willingly share what they have done, with enthusiasm, with warm and approachable staff.

Leaders promote an ethos of regular attendance, punctuality and positive habits, as children prepare for their onward move to school. Policies and procedures are robust, well understood and embedded, helping children to remain safe and engaged in their learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children, particularly the youngest, thrive through a highly effective key-person system. Children benefit greatly from affectionate and caring relationships with their familiar adults. For example, there are delightful interactions during nappy changes, where staff excel at meeting children's individual care needs. Staff are wonderful at dealing with any toileting accidents with sensitivity, whilst instilling a sense of independence and building self-esteem. This highly effective approach, alongside excellent partnerships with parents, provides reassurance and comfort to ensure children's emotional security.

There are consistent arrangements to ensure children's safety and wellbeing. For example, staff ensure effective use of headcounts as children transfer from the outdoor to the indoor areas. Children are supported extremely well to understand safety when they use the stairs. Children know to hold the rail, to listen and for there to be only one child on each step.

There are exceedingly effective arrangements to ensure children remain safe during extreme weather. Parents value the updates from the setting, so they know children are being well-cared for. Staff ensure that outdoor play spaces have enough shade and that ultraviolet readings are low enough for children to play safely. Staff regularly check room temperatures and children's body temperature, particularly while they sleep, to support wellbeing.

Staff demonstrate a robust understanding of safe-eating policies and procedures that keep children safe and healthy. Children, from a young age, develop independence skills. At mealtimes toddlers serve themselves, pour their own drinks and feed themselves with confidence. Staff help children consistently well to learn about healthy lifestyles, such as talking about the different meals each child has, exploring a broad range of preferences.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders evaluate the provision well. For example, there is a focus on embedding the curriculum and creating a calm and inviting learning environment, where children feel settled and valued. Staff feel valued, their workload is manageable and there are appropriate systems in place to develop their professional skills, especially as there is now better retention of staff. Staff talk with confidence about the impact of 'sing-and-sign' sessions in supporting children's communication and language skills and how parents and carers are complementing this learning at home. Leaders and managers carry out regular observations of practice and conduct in-the-moment discussions to provide staff with guidance. More formal supervision meetings help to identify individual staff's relevant training requirements, particularly to meet the needs of their key children. Leaders and managers are beginning to see the impact of training for new and inexperienced staff and this continues to embed, with the aim of providing consistently high-quality provision.

Parents value the excellent communication from all staff and the effective leadership and management of the nursery. They feel that they are listened to and feedback is acted on, such as the new entry system, which promotes a feeling of safety and security for them and their children.