Kiddi Caru Day Nursery and Preschool Hengrove

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy at the setting. They explore the activities on offer with excitement and familiarity. Staff, together with the newly appointed management team, have recently designed a curriculum that supports children to development age-appropriate skills. They are beginning to implement this across the setting. For example in the baby room, the focus is on building secure relationships and strong bonds, helping children feel safe and cared for. In the toddler room, staff promote children's the independence by encouraging them to do things for themselves.

The key-person system is well established. Parents know who their child's key person is and value the regular communication they receive, both through the use of online sharing platforms and in daily conversations. This strong partnership helps staff to meet children emotional and developmental needs. Children from trusting relationships when needed. For example, they enjoy cuddles from familiar adults when waking from sleep, helping them to feel secure and ready for the next part of their day.

Children explore the environment with confidence, supported by routines that are familiar to them. Babies pull themselves along and reach the indoor sandpit while older children practise running, jumping and balancing on outdoor equipment. Children enjoy digging in the mud pit and planting seeds, which supports their physical development and builds sensory awareness. Staff are beginning to use routines more consistently to help children understand what is expected of them throughout the day.

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

• Leaders and staff have designed a clear and ambitious curriculum, with children's development at its centre. It supports children to build key skills as they move through different stages of learning. Leaders are still embedding its implementation and plan to continue reviewing it, so that all children make consistently strong progress across all areas of learning.
• The setting shares information with the parents/carers so they understand what their child does in the setting and what is next for them. This is done face to face in daily contact, digitally via the online application and in a fortnightly bulletin. Parents feel well informed about their child's learning and development. They value the regular communication with staff and say it helps them feel involved, share concerns and support their child's progress at home.
• Children enjoy a wide range of songs, stories and rhymes, which support their communication and language development. They confidently request favourite songs, join in with actions and enjoy dancing to the music. Staff share books in small groups, helping children to recognise familiar characters and predict what might happen next. These experiences foster children's enjoyment of reading and build their vocabulary.
• Children form close bonds with their key person, which supports their emotional security. Parents know who their child's key person is and value the consistent care provided. Children confidently seek comfort and reassurance from staff when needed. For example, after waking from sleep, they enjoy a cuddle to help them settle and reengage with their day.
• Children explore the environment with confidence. Babies crawl and shuffle toward the indoor sandpit, while older children enjoy running, jumping, and balancing on outdoor equipment. They plant seeds and dig in the mud, which builds their sensory awareness and coordination. However, staff are at an early stage of consistently applying routines and behaviour expectations. As a result, some children are not yet clear about daily boundaries and what is expected of them throughout the day.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the consistency with which staff apply behaviour expectations, so that all children understand and follow routines and boundaries consistently
• embed the curriculum more securely so that it is implemented consistently and supports all children to make strong and sustained progress across all areas of learning.