Kiddies Lounge Pre School Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and thrive at this nursery. Staff create a welcoming environment and support children to separate from their parents quickly. Children engage deeply in play from the moment they arrive. They form warm relationships with their key person and other staff who work with them. Leaders work closely with staff to ensure the curriculum is focused on developing children's physical, communication and social skills as they grow through the nursery. This supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to be ready for their next stage in learning.

Behaviour is good because staff set clear expectations and boundaries. Staff teach children to have respect for their environment and resources. As a result, children tidy up quickly when asked and know where objects belong. When they notice a pop-up book they are reading is torn, children fetch a pot of glue and ask staff to help them repair the page. Children demonstrate that they feel safe and secure indoors and while they are in the nursery garden. They are kind to each other, sitting together and sharing books and involving others in their play. Staff teach them to share and take turns when they play games together.

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

• Since the last inspection, leaders have worked hard to address concerns. Staff monitor children who appear to have gaps in learning or development and are quick to put support in place to ensure that any gaps are addressed. This means that all children, including those with SEND, make good progress.
• Parents meet with their child's key person before they start at the nursery so they can share information about their child and their routines. Parents say they feel well informed about what their child is doing while they are at nursery and how they can further support their learning at home.
• Children's health and physical well-being is well supported. They enjoy healthy snacks and staff talk about the vegetables they are eating at lunchtime. Leaders ensure the indoor and outdoor learning environments are accessible to children of all ages. Staff support children to manage their own risks when playing outside. For example, when children are practising jumping, staff suggest they count down before they jump so their friends know they will be jumping and stay clear of where they will land.
• Some interactions with staff are highly effective in supporting children's developing vocabulary. In a painting activity, staff notice when children use new words and talk about what these words mean. Staff encourage children to describe the different shades of blue they create when mixing paint and a child says they have made 'teal'. Other children use this new word when talking about the colours they create. However, some staff do not fully engage children in conversation or model language for children. This means that their developing communication skills are not supported at a consistently high level.
• Children develop a love of reading and writing because they have access to books and mark-making resources in all areas of the nursery. For example, children sit in the story house which has been created in the garden and read books with friends. They talk about their books and show each other what they are looking at as they turn the pages.
• Although there are systems in place to support children to develop their independent self-care skills, for example there are tissue stations accessible at child's level in all rooms, so they can wipe their own noses. Some staff do not encourage older children to practise these skills, instead they wipe their noses for them or serve their food at mealtimes. This means that the independence skills established in the baby room are not yet fully embedded as children move through the nursery.
• Children behave well in all areas of the nursery. They are kind to each other and like to be helpful by setting up activities with staff and tidying up. For example, staff support babies to pour water into the water tray so their friends can play. Older children carefully place books back on the shelf when they have finished reading them.
• Leaders work closely with advisors from the local authority, Staff appreciate the range of training and support which they receive. They have opportunities to talk about any areas they wish to develop their practice in through regular supervision meetings and say that they enjoy working at the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support less-experienced staff to raise the quality of their interactions with children so that these are at a consistently high level to further develop children's communication and language skills
• ensure all staff reinforce the strategies in place to support children to be able to independently manage their self-care skills.