Kiddiecare Day Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are settled and happy at this warm and friendly nursery. Staff help children to feel secure by building nurturing relationships with them. There is an effective key-person system in place. Children know that they can get comfort from their key person if needed. Important information is gathered from parents on a daily basis and used to support children throughout the day.

Children behave well and are influenced by the staff's positive and enthusiastic interactions. Staff give consistent praise to children to encourage them to behave in positive ways. They gently remind children of the nursery rules during the day. Children interact well with each other and adults confidently throughout their play and activities. For example, they talk and discuss what details they can see on the autumn leaves through their magnifying glass.

Children are keen and confident to join in with activities and explore the resources indoors and outdoors. Babies show delight in singing songs during play. Toddlers explore play dough by manipulating it with their hands, and older children enjoy stories and going on an autumn hunt in the outdoor area.

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

• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The special educational needs coordinator and manager work closely with other professionals to ensure the needs of children with SEND are well known and met. Furthermore, the manager uses additional funding to provide specific sensory resources to support individual children. Children with SEND make good progress.
• Staff give high priority to developing children's communication and language skills. Children demonstrate a love of songs and stories and there is good focus on developing children's literacy skills.
• Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well. They work closely with parents, gathering key words and adapting their approach to the individual child. As a result, all children develop well in their communication skills.
• Staff know their key children well and in the main plan well for their learning. However, occasionally, for older children, group activities are not always informed by what children need to learn next. During these times, children are not supported as well to make good progress.
• Leaders recognise the importance of positive partnerships with parents. Parents are complimentary about the setting and are positive about the warm relationships their children share with staff. Parents comment on the good progress their children have made since attending the nursery. Staff strive to achieve a joined-up approach to children's care and learning.
• Staff comment that they feel valued and supported. The manager holds supervision meetings with staff to discuss and review their performance. However, leaders have not fully identified targets and training to support staff to further develop their knowledge and teaching skills.
• Staff support children to develop independence skills. For example, staff encourage children to do things for themselves, such as washing their hands before meals and wiping their faces. This supports children to gain the skills they need to manage their own personal hygiene.
• The setting promotes good oral health. For example, staff provide oral health activities within the nursery and children brush their teeth after lunch. This supports children to learn about the importance of good oral health.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• further embed the curriculum and consider carefully the order in which children learn new skills so that learning intentions are guided by what children need to learn next
• strengthen the monitoring of teaching and seek training opportunities to develop staff's skills and knowledge to raise the quality of teaching.