Kiddies Palace Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff support children to settle and separate well from their parents at this nursery. They arrive to warm greetings, hugs and smiles from staff. Leaders plan a curriculum that is filled with meaningful learning experiences for children. Staff prioritise children's independence and good social skills. Overall, they promote children's language development well through a range of activities, including sensory play, musical expression and planting and growing opportunities. Staff encourage children's emerging self-help skills effectively. Children independently feed themselves at snack time. Staff encourage children to wear their own coats. As children master this skill, staff gradually help them to progress to other responsibilities, such as clearing away their bowls after eating.

Staff develop close bonds with children and get to know their personalities well. They are good role models who demonstrate positive play, morals and conduct for children during their interactions. Staff expertly support children who are in the earlier stages of understanding their expectations for behaviour. Therefore, all children learn to be kind and develop a spirit of friendly cooperation. Children benefit from lots of spontaneous moments to express themselves musically. They enjoy experimenting with different ways of moving their bodies as they hop, jump and pretend to be their favourite animals.

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

• Staff have high expectations of what children can do independently. They encourage children to hang up their dressing-up costumes after playing in them. Children learn to wipe their own noses and dispose of their tissues without prompting from staff.
• Staff skilfully use their everyday conversations to promote children's understanding of what makes them similar and different to others. Children learn to speak positively about themselves, such as when referring to their individual features and what makes them unique.
• Staff communicate their expectations for children's good conduct effectively. They remind children of the rules in place for their behaviour. Staff provide children with clear explanations for why some behaviour is undesirable. They demonstrate kindness, respect and consideration for children. Children learn to play cooperatively and treat the resources responsibly.
• Overall, staff embed consistent routines for children. Children know when it is time to go to the toilet, and they understand they must walk safely together with staff. They line up patiently to wash their hands in preparation for lunch. However, at times, staff's organisation of children's morning routines for whole-group times is not flexible enough. Their arrangements do not consistently meet the learning needs of the youngest children.
• Children curiously explore and remain engaged with the enticing activities staff prepare. For example, they spend time engrossed in leaf printing, junk modelling, sensory foam exploration and role play in the mud kitchen. Staff use these moments to encourage children to talk about what is happening in their play and build their vocabulary. However, although staff generally promote children's speech and language very well, they do not create opportunities for all children who speak English as an additional language to use their home languages at the nursery.
• Children have lots of opportunities to be physically active and develop their good coordination. Staff promote children's good hand-eye coordination as they support them to throw and catch balls. Children enjoy risky play activities, and they climb up and over challenging outdoor equipment with confidence.
• Leaders ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully supported to progress towards their targets. They work closely with external professionals and follow their advice and guidance to implement interventions and individual support.
• Parents comment on the good progress their children make in their language and independence skills at the nursery. They express their appreciation for the flexible care staff provide for their children and the consideration given for individual family circumstances.
• Staff feel that leaders consider their well-being. They feel their workloads are manageable and leaders are supportive and use effective coaching to help them to develop their childcare practice.
• Leaders have followed the advice of the area early years adviser to strengthen arrangements for staff supervision since the last inspection. This has helped with monitoring staff's development. Additionally, leaders have improved aspects of the learning environment to enhance the quality of children's experiences. For example, they have improved the resources available in the role-play area and rearranged the book area to make it easier for children to engage with stories.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• revisit the organisation of morning group times to meet the needs of the youngest children more consistently
• strengthen support for children who speak English as an additional language, so they all benefit from opportunities to use their home languages in their play and learning at the nursery.