Kiddi Caru Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children learn to assess and manage their own risks. Older children are competent with using saws and hammers under close supervision from staff during woodwork sessions. Children take on the role of 'safety spies' when they complete outdoor risk assessments to ensure it is a safe area to play. Children build with large blocks and 'walk the plank' before jumping off their 'boat'. They enjoy each other's company as they share ideas. They move and balance the blocks to the correct place and happily take turns to test out their creation. Younger children laugh as they play peekaboo together.

Children begin to learn about different cultures and communities. They have recently learned about Holi, the Hindu festival of colours, when children explored colour mixing. Older children visited the local cathedral, reflecting on different buildings and cultures. Children are also learning how to help the local community. They have started collecting items, discussing what families may need and donating these to the local food bank. This enables children to learn how to respect and help each other.

Children have good opportunities to be independent. Younger children learn to wash their hands and use cups to drink from. Older children pour their drinks and put their coats on independently and participate in physical education sessions, where they learn to get dressed in preparation for being ready for school. They participate in cooking activities, where children successfully follow instructions and learn to weigh and mix their ingredients. Children review how the texture changes as they add more products to their mixture.

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

• Children have close bonds with staff. They often look at stories together. Children giggle when being cuddled and tickled by their key person. They learn about feelings and emotions during well-planned activities. Children share how they are feeling and explore different emotions with staff. However, staff do not always meet children's needs promptly. For example, when children participate in wet play, their clothes are not changed swiftly enough to ensure children are comfortable.
• Staff are often singing songs to children throughout the nursery, developing children's language. Younger children enjoy participating in 'sing-and-sign' sessions, where they learn actions to words. However, there are some inconsistencies with staff practice. Some staff do not fully engage with children to extend their learning during play activities. For example, when children practise skills such as scooping, the staff's questioning does not always extend children's learning beyond what they already know and can do.
• Children have access to a range of equipment to develop their physical skills. Large climbing apparatus is available inside to develop children's gross motor skills. Children play with large tubes and take turns rolling them down a ramp. Younger children show excitement when they bang on large tins. Older children focus on making shapes by stretching elastic bands onto boards, developing their fine motor and mathematical skills.
• Staff work with the schools that older children will attend. They invite teachers to visit the children at nursery. School teachers comment that children are resilient, have good independence and communication skills and settle well. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Staff work closely with parents and other agencies to review children's development so they can continue to support their next steps in learning. However, some staff are not aware that some children attend other settings. There are no systems in place to communicate with other settings children attend, affecting the consistency of care and education provided between the settings.
• Staff feel supported by the manager and the company and comment that they help with their well-being. Staff have access to regular training, and management often reflect on their practice.
• Parents say the staff are welcoming and provide love and care for children. Children are excited to go into nursery, where they are met by their key person with whom they have built a close bond. Parents say that they receive good communication regarding how children are developing and the progress they are making.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to meet children's needs promptly, to ensure their comfort and well-being
• help staff to build consistency in good practice and develop their understanding of how to challenge children's learning further
• establish effective partnership working with other settings that children attend, to provide children with consistency in their care and education.