Kiddi Caru Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

This purpose-built nursery has exciting play spaces indoors and outdoors for children to explore. Babies enjoy looking out from the secure veranda, pointing out the different things they can see. Staff provide words such as 'tree', 'bird' and 'aeroplane' when children spot these, increasing the children's vocabulary. Two- and three-year-olds explore scents and textures through planned activities with purple coloured scented foam and plant leaves. Staff help them to describe and explore what they can feel and smell. Children comment that they like the smell of the rosemary and mint leaves and that the foam, which is sticky, has turned their hands purple. Older children develop mathematical skills as they make shapes with the dough. They talk about the stars they have made, count the sides on the square and work out how many more they need to make five shapes in total. Staff praise children for their efforts, modelling counting to check they have the right number.

Staff support all children well. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive help and encouragement to boost their learning. All children take part in activities and staff adapt these well to meet individual needs and interests. As a result, children make good progress in their learning. Managers and leaders have adapted practice to support children and families through the changes due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Although parents are not able to bring children into the nursery yet, the manager sets aside a room for new starters and parents. In this way, children and parents get to see some of the nursery and meet the staff before they start, helping children to settle in well.

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

• Managers and leaders have recognised that the COVID-19 pandemic affected staff, parents and children. They have put in place support for staff and children's mental health. They celebrate staff and children's achievements, including through reward schemes and displays showing children's skill development.
• Managers have reviewed the risk assessments considering the changes for safety measures for COVID-19. Children from different rooms can now play together. Staff comment that this has helped children as they can now meet up with brothers and sisters in different age groups again. Staff have also noticed that it has helped when children move into different rooms as they have been able to get to know staff and children in these new rooms.
• Key persons know children well. They observe what interests children and plan for what they need to learn next. Staff have adapted practice to ensure parents are kept fully informed about children's learning and development, including through home-learning packs and online photographs and reports. Children are making good progress with their development.
• Parents comment that their children are happy and doing well. They feel that staff really know and care for the children. They say that children's talking and confidence have developed well. Parents comment that the information shared with them, helps them support children better at home.
• Children are highly motivated and eager to share what they are doing with others. Older children excitedly show how they can go down the slide in different ways. They remind friends that they need to use the steps to reach the top. Younger children adapt superbly to new situations with sensitive support from staff. Babies overcome their hesitancy and readily kick balls to newcomers. Toddlers cooperate brilliantly with each other, taking turns in conversation as they explore the purple foam, or when choosing which songs to sing before lunch.
• Staff encourage children's language and communication. They use signs and words to help children express themselves. Staff ask questions and talk about what children are doing as they play. However, sometimes, staff do not use these as effectively as they could to encourage children to think and solve problems to extend children's learning across all the areas of the curriculum.
• Older children use their imaginations, make links with stories they have heard and recall previous learning. For instance, children describe how they found a 'crocodile' in their bedroom who ate all the food and drank all the water, relating this back to a story about a tiger who came to tea. Others recall that they needed to use flour, water, and salt to make the dough they are playing with.
• Staff encourage children to develop good hygiene practices and manage tasks for themselves. Children know that they need to wash their hands before eating and after using the toilet. They pour their own drinks at mealtimes and use tongs to serve their food. Staff talk with children about healthy food choices and how the food they eat can give them energy.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make sure that staff support children better to express ideas and solve problems, to enhance children's learning.