Kiddi Caru Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The staff team is dedicated to prioritising children's happiness and well-being. Parents leave confidently, knowing their children are well supported. Children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging, which supports their confidence and self-esteem effectively. They develop secure bonds with the staff, especially with their key person. They confidently seek interactions with staff and invite them into their play. Staff know the children well and create a fun and inclusive curriculum. There is a strong focus on physical and language development and independence skills. Consequently, all children make good progress over time, and they are well prepared for their future learning.

Children are eager to learn and excitedly explore the activities on offer. For example, outside, young children have fun transporting water and negotiating obstacles, stepping stones and hoops. Staff provide challenges as they help children to master new skills, such as hopping. Babies have fun as they explore lots of sensory textures, such as different fabrics and netting. Older children are curious and play imaginatively as they hunt for hidden animals in pretend snow. They learn about different animals and their habitats. Pre-school children adore dinosaur activities. Staff successfully support these interests well to include mathematical learning. Children are proud to celebrate their achievements and welcome praise from staff.

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

• Overall, leaders and staff have a good understanding of the curriculum they plan and the rationale behind what they want children to learn. Staff provide a range of fun activities and opportunities for children to experience. For example, older children have fun singing familiar songs and listening to stories. Young children are curious to play imaginatively in the mud kitchen and explore with foam and paint. However, staff do not consistently make the most of all opportunities to fully extend children's individual skills to help raise the standard of teaching and learning to an even higher level.
• Staff support children well to develop their communication and language skills. They talk to them respectfully and model positive interactions. Children hear a range of words, prompting verbal children to confidently talk to staff and visitors.
• Staff are good role models. They positively remind children of the boundaries. Staff teach children the skills they need to resolve any minor issues. They gently support children to learn to cooperate, to play and share resources with others. This helps children to understand the expectations of their behaviour and supports them to develop close friendships with others.
• Staff use the children's interests effectively to gather additional resources to support their construction and problem-solving skills. For example, older children show enthusiasm and curiosity as they play with different materials. They collaborate and share their ideas as they build structures using large soft bricks and plastic containers. They excitedly comment on their robot model and show much satisfaction with the results of their efforts.
• Staff support children's independence skills well throughout the day. For example, they teach children to put on their own coats and wellington boots and pour their drinks. Staff sensitively support children who need some additional help managing their own self-care needs.
• Overall, mealtimes are social occasions. Children enjoy freshly cooked meals, where small groups of children sit together and interact with their friends. That said, lunchtimes are not always well organised. On these occasions, children can choose when they wish to eat. This sees noise levels rise as some children are playing and some children are eating. At times, this does not lend itself to a consistently purposeful and calm environment.
• Staff have effective partnerships with parents. From the beginning, staff collect meaningful information about children's care routines and individual needs to make the transition into nursery as smooth as possible. Parents are grateful for the collaborative approach between nursery and home life that supports essential milestones. For example, parents are encouraged to use the nursery's lending library, which helps to provide information and activities, for instance on toilet training or the arrival of new siblings.
• Staff enjoy working in this nursery. They comment that they are well supported in their work. Leaders plan regular supervision meetings with staff to support them in their roles. They organise specific training events with staff to further enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff report that leaders are proactive in supporting their professional skills and their well-being.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and improve the organisation of mealtimes so that children benefit from a consistently calm and purposeful environment
• strengthen teaching and curriculum planning even more effectively to focus precisely on extending the challenges set for all children.