Kiddicare Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the nursery with big smiles and happily leave their parents at the gate. Staff greet them warmly. They take time to talk to each parent when children arrive. This means that transition between home and nursery is easy for children. Children feel safe and secure and enjoy positive relationships with staff and one another.

Leaders design the curriculum based on children's interests and what they need to learn next. For instance, children enjoy learning about nature and life cycles of bees and sunflowers. They explore nature, plant seeds and use magnifying glasses to investigate the insects they can find in the garden. Children are very confident and independent learners. Staff know children well. They observe and assess children's learning well to inform their planning. Consequently, all children make good progress in their learning.

Children behave well and have positive attitudes towards learning. Staff are good role models and have high expectations for children's behaviour. They implement strategies to help children to expand their self- regulating skills. For example, children learn about feelings and emotions, and they regularly practise breathing techniques and solve conflicts independently, when possible. Children share toys, resources and space well from young age.

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

• The provider has taken a very proactive approach in response to the last inspection. Leaders and staff have undertaken relevant training, including safeguarding and the 'Prevent' duty guidance. In addition to robust risk assessments, staff teach children how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about dialling 999 in an emergency.
• Leaders plan regular supervision meetings for staff. Staff have a good understanding of the early years foundation stage. They work closely and enthusiastically alongside children. However, on occasion, staff miss opportunities to further extend the youngest children's learning, especially during their outdoor play.
• There is a strong focus on communication and language development. Staff support children to extend their vocabulary. For example, staff introduce words such as 'edible' and 'inedible' and help children understand what this mean. Staff converse with children well during their play. All children, including children who speak English as an additional language, are becoming confident communicators.
• Children develop a love for books. Staff engage children very well as they animatedly read familiar stories. They provide props and activities to help children to re-enact stories. Older children are encouraged to retell stories to their peers. This helps to further build their growing confidence and self-esteem.
• Staff provide children with some activities to support their gross motor skills. Children join in with dancing and yoga sessions. However, on occasion, staff do not consistently include challenging, vigorous and risky play, to support children's physical development even further.
• Children have many opportunities to strengthen their small muscles. They happily join in with mark-making activities and explore with play dough. They learn to use different tools and equipment. For example, they use mortars and pestles to grind herbs, or eagerly squeeze spray bottles. This helps to prepare them for next steps in their learning.
• Children's physical health and well-being are a priority for staff. Leaders ensure that children eat nutritious and balanced meals. Staff encourage children to become helpers and set up tables for lunchtime. This helps them to develop a sense of responsibility. Children practise their self-care skills as they learn to use utensils and feed themselves from a young age.
• Children behave well, and staff support them to develop their social skills. They use good manners and show respect to one another. This prepares them well for their next stages of education, including transition on to school, when applicable.
• Staff promote children's learning of early mathematics. For example, children mix water and oats and dish it up into small, medium and big bowls. Staff encourage children to count blocks as children build towers.
• Partnership with parents is highly effective. Parents speak positively about the setting and the caring and welcoming staff. They say that staff keep them well informed about their children's learning, next steps and general progress. This helps to ensure the continuity of children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus on supporting less-confident staff in their professional development to raise the quality of teaching to a consistently high standard
• build on opportunities for vigorous, challenging and risky play, to consistently support children's gross motor skills even further.