Kiddi Caru Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed as they arrive and happily leave their parents. They show great enthusiasm and curiosity when they explore the activities on offer. Staff use their assessments of children's development well and invest time in getting to know the children and their families. Staff successfully plan a varied curriculum around children's interests and what they need to learn next. For example, children excitedly master the skill of mixing paint as they enthusiastically paint pictures for their parents. Children recall information that they have learned about spiders. For instance, they use positional language, such as 'under the stones', as they discuss where they have found tiny spiders. Children learn the importance of caring for the environment and creatures as they chat about how they should 'be quiet to not frighten the spiders'.

Children have established close bonds with their key persons. They demonstrate that they are confident and comfortable in their environment. The manager and team fully consider children's individuality, and speak knowledgeably about the children. They are committed to ensuring that the nursery is a welcoming, inclusive and child-friendly place to learn. Resources are easily accessible for children to self-select and lead their own play. Children delight in using water sprayers to clean toys and have fun using them to play chasing games with staff. They are confident communicators and excitedly tell visitors about the different plant seeds they are growing, how far they can jump on the obstacle courses and how to make mud pies.

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

• Staff teach children independence skills effectively, such as eating with cutlery and serving themselves at lunchtime. Staff help younger children master tasks by themselves, such as putting on their aprons before art and craft activities and wiping their own noses through short instructions and modelling how to do it. Children's independence skills are supported consistently well and this a strength of the staff teaching in the nursery.
• Children are well-prepared for their eventual move to school. Staff provide opportunities for older children to participate in group activities, such as 'show and tell'. For example, they collect natural objects from their regular walks to the park and share their exciting finds with the group. Children's behaviour is exceptional, and they understand what is acceptable. They listen intently at group time and thoroughly enjoy interactive stories. They know to put their hands up if they want to ask questions, and positively respond to requests from the staff. Children understand their feelings and regularly explain how they feel and how their actions affect others. For instance, children explain what makes them sad and how others can help them to feel happy. Children use stones with emotions drawn on them to explain their surprise and sad facial expressions.
• Staff fully understand the importance of supporting children's physical development. Young children and babies learn to crawl through tunnels. They smile broadly with joy as staff members meet them warmly at the other end. All children benefit from weekly sessions led and taught by staff, such as dance, sensory and yoga sessions. This has a positive impact on their developing coordination skills and strengthens their core muscles.
• The manager and her team understand the importance of engaging parents in their children's learning. Partnership with parents is well-established. Parents say how impressed they are with the 'wonderful' staff team. Communication is good and parents comment that they feel comfortable leaving their children, secure in the knowledge that they are kept safe.
• The staff engage children in meaningful conversation and provide running commentaries during activities. They have a clear comprehension of how children develop their conversation skills. They introduce new words and signs to support their ability to communicate and increase their vocabulary. Staff provide many opportunities for singing, and consistently use songs to support children's language development and to develop simple mathematics skills. Staff regularly ask questions to encourage children to think critically and solve problems.
• Staff are very knowledgeable and experienced. Staff provide good one-to-one support for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to target their next steps in learning. However, occasionally, during whole group sessions staff do not offer children with SEND the same high-quality interactions that they receive in targeted activities, to fully support and extend their individual learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop staff teaching skills to consistently include and extend all children's learning during large-group activities.