Kiddi Caru Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle well and get involved in activities planned around their current interests. The atmosphere is calm and welcoming. Children chat with each other as they play with the trains or engage in play dough activities together. Children confidently approach new people, demonstrating that they feel safe and secure in the setting. Staff are positive in their interactions with children. They are polite and respectful to them and are good role models. When children are upset or tired, staff provide hugs and reassurance. This helps the children form strong and trusting relationships with staff.

Key persons have effective methods of developing relationships with, and seeking a wide range of information from, parents so they know the children well. Staff are effective in engaging with other professionals when needed, making referrals to external services, and signposting parents to support from other professionals. This helps to ensure that all children receive the support that they need so they can make progress in relation to their individual starting points.

Staff have implemented positive behaviour strategies for all children. Further personalised strategies are in place to support those children who may require them. Therefore, children generally behave well. They have formed friendships and show concern for each other. For example, when one of the younger children coughs, his friend gives him a pat on the back and checks he is okay.

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

• Leaders are reflective and have a clear and ambitious vision for the setting that is shared with the team. They strive to deliver high-quality care and education. The team works with the local authority and seeks out relevant training opportunities. They use evaluation effectively to make improvements to the setting. For example, they have recently changed the environment to ensure it better suits the varying needs of the current cohort of children.
• Children have ample opportunity to choose books to look at independently or with staff. Staff readily join them to read the books they have chosen. Staff introduce books that link to activities or children's interests. For example, after a shape-related activity, a story about shapes is shared. This helps children develop a love of stories and books.
• Staff work closely with other agencies to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They liaise with parents to implement suitable, individualised strategies to support these children. They maintain appropriate records and share these as required with relevant agencies. This promotes consistency, both at home and within the setting.
• Staff know their key children well and are clear about what they want them to learn next. They provide a wide range of activities and experiences that children are eager to participate in. They engage with children during their play and follow their interests. However, staff do not always identify times in children's play or during planned activities when they could extend their learning further. In addition, during routine times, children are not always well supported in learning to be independent. This means that children are not consistently provided with high levels of challenge.
• Robust procedures are in place to safeguard children who have food allergies. Children are encouraged to wash their hands before meals and staff ensure that tables are sanitised. However, there are occasions during mealtimes when the setting's food hygiene procedures are not followed. This does not promote positive attitudes towards hygiene practices.
• There is a strong partnership with parents. Parents speak positively about the setting and report their children are happy to attend. Parents comment that their children have made progress since starting. Staff are aware of the needs of the individual families. This allows them to support children and families appropriately. Advice is readily available about topics, such as toilet training and new siblings, so parents can support their children through these transitions. However, not all parents are aware of their children's next steps to further support their learning at home.
• Staff benefit from supportive and encouraging leaders. Their welfare and well-being are important to them. Staff morale is high and teamwork is effective. This means that children are cared for by happy and motivated staff.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the quality of staff interactions with children to help them challenge and extend children's learning more effectively as they play and during routine times
• support staff to consistently implement the setting's hygiene procedures in relation to mealtimes
• strengthen the arrangements to share information with parents about their child's next steps in learning.