Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool Hanham Hall

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The well-designed curriculum helps children to build knowledge and specifically focuses on the prime areas of learning. Children gain good communication and language skills. Babies really enjoy their song time together, watched over by attentive staff. Babies engage well, listening and swaying in time to the familiar songs. They begin to make choices, for example which song to sing next and which instrument to hold. Staff model language well, helping babies to hear new words and to become more familiar with routines.

Children have good opportunities to be physically active. Older children thoroughly enjoy chasing games in the well-thought-out outdoor area. Children negotiate rules well, for example using a 'high five' to 'tig'. Staff help children think about the effects on their body as they exercise. Children recognise when they are hot, remove coats and know to hang them on their peg, which they do so independently.

Children use their imagination well. They create 'soup' in the mud kitchen, explaining they have added chicken, vegetables and a lot of spices, linking their experiences well. Children develop good small-muscle skills as they carefully transport the soil and water and mix their 'ingredients'. Staff support children to play nicely together and to take turns stirring the soup. Children receive praise, which helps to build high levels of self-esteem.

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

• Leaders and managers have designed a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do and what they need to learn next. Staff know their children well and deliver the curriculum in a fun and exciting way. They provide targeted support to help children consolidate their learning and to learn new skills. Staff understand what children need to achieve and ensure that the environment is enticing and supports learning for all children. For example, to encourage older babies to explore the shredded paper, staff use their interest in trains and show them how to make pathways. Children then lead their learning with good support from knowledgeable staff.
• Children benefit from close bonds with familiar staff. The youngest babies enjoy a calm and relaxing environment. They are cuddled close and reassured when needed. They enjoy personalised care and positive interactions. For example, young babies confidently crawl and pull themselves up on sturdy furniture as they develop their core strength ready for walking. Staff provide commentary throughout their movements, acknowledging their achievements and modelling language. Staff spontaneously sing songs such as 'Head, shoulders, knees and toes', pointing to the features on the doll and then repeating and pointing to the features on babies to consolidate learning. Babies smile and play happily, feeling secure.
• Children have good opportunities to develop their small muscle-skills in readiness for early writing. Older children competently use a range of tools, such as scissors as they create independently and knives as they prepare fruit for their kebab snacks. Staff support those children who need additional help well. For example, staff demonstrate how to use tweezers and give children time to practise picking up pom-poms.
• Generally, children behave well and are kind to each other. Staff redirect play well to help older children understand how to play together and in a manner that keeps them safe. For example, older children are encouraged to observe the outdoor area and to assess where the best place would be to throw the hoops so that it does not pose a risk to others. Staff question the children and redirect the play when needed. However, those staff working with young children do not always use appropriate strategies to manage unwanted behaviour, and children do not always learn behavioural expectations.
• There are effective relationships with parents. Parents value the time key persons take to build strong bonds with their children in order for them to successfully meet their children's individual needs. Staff keep parents well informed about their child's day and their next steps in learning. Parents make good use of the resources on offer, whether it be to share the take-home learning bags or to access items from the food bank.
• There are robust recruitment and induction arrangements to ensure staff are suitable for their role and remain so. Staff receive effective induction so that they understand their roles and responsibilities to keep children safe. Leaders and managers ensure that staff understand policies and procedures and monitor their implementation successfully. The premises are secure, and staff are vigilant, for example to ensure children are collected by known and authorised adults.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide targeted support and guidance for staff working with young children to enable them to be confident to apply strategies to manage children's behaviour more consistently.