Kiddi Caru Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children form positive relationships with staff, helping them to feel secure. Staff provide a broad range of activities that engage children's interests effectively. Children become absorbed in their play, helping them to become motivated and independent learners. For example, staff build on children's keen interest in a book about aliens to extend their learning. They provide an array of resources which children use to create large and small rockets. They make the most of the opportunities that this presents to introduce mathematical ideas, such as positional language. Staff promote children's communication and literacy well. For example, during storytelling, staff introduce new words such as 'character', 'blurb' and 'spine'. They talk about how the spine holds the book together. Children are fascinated as staff encourage them to feel the 'nobbles' on their back and talk about how their own spine holds them together.

Children develop good social skills. Staff support them well to understand the behaviour that is expected. For example, children learn to share, take turns and collaborate as they play. Staff encourage children to learn about the environment and conservation issues. This is done through discussion and activities that offer practical experiences such as identifying plastic objects to remove from the water tray. Staff have also set up an eco-school committee with the children, where they hold meetings to discuss how they can care for the ocean. Children have contributed to cleaning beaches, supporting them to learn about issues in their local community.

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

• Since the last inspection, the provider has successfully taken action to make improvements. These include working with the local authority to devise and implement an effective curriculum to provide children with good-quality learning experiences. In addition, the provider has ensured that staff have a secure knowledge and understanding of safeguarding matters. This has a positive impact on the quality of the provision.
• There are appropriate arrangements to support and supervise the manager and to promote their continued professional development. Overall, supervision for staff has also improved. Staff take part in an induction process when they first start. However, the provider does not have fully secure arrangements to check that all staff have a comprehensive understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Therefore, some staff have a more confident knowledge than others. This results in some minor inconsistencies in the quality of interactions that children receive. In addition, temporary staff do not always receive clear information regarding the children in their care to make sure they are fully familiar with their needs from the outset.
• Improvements have been made to the key-person system, which now operates effectively. All children have a named key person who is responsible for supporting their learning and development. These are supported by a buddy arrangement so that children are always cared for by staff they know. Children develop positive relationships with the staff that care for them.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have structured support plans in place. These are designed to enable staff to understand each child's unique needs and implement strategies effectively to support their learning and development. Overall, children with SEND enjoy their time in the nursery and have their needs met well. However, there are occasions when they do not benefit from the intended high-quality interactions due to the inconsistencies in staff practice.
• Staff in the baby room have nurturing relationships with the children in their care. Key persons respond quickly to babies' needs, supporting them as they settle into nursery life. This helps to develop children's attachments and sense of belonging. Staff working with the older children promote their independence and help them to develop a social conscience. For example, children enjoy the interesting activities provided to teach them about conservation and recycling.
• Staff support children to manage their personal needs and adopt healthy habits effectively. For example, they encourage children to help themselves to tissues and to dispose of these hygienically. In addition, staff provide opportunities for children to learn about healthy eating, for example, as they grow their own vegetables.
• Partnerships with parents are positive and information sharing is effective. For example, staff gather information from parents about their children when they first start. They provide regular feedback about their child's progress. There are strategies in place, such as a lending library and learning bags for children to take home, that support parents to extend their children's learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• enhance the arrangements to check that staff have a confident and comprehensive understanding of all aspects of their roles, including temporary staff
• monitor the support for children with SEND more precisely to address minor inconsistencies in the quality of the interactions they receive.