Kiddycare Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are at the heart of this outstanding nursery. They are incredibly happy and confident. The passionate childcare staff provide the utmost care and attention to the children, who form extremely warm and loving relationships with their key members of staff. Children are safe, emotionally secure and able to learn from all the many rich experiences on offer. Children confidently access the abundance of vibrant activities that staff have set up to ignite their senses. They splash bubbly water with their hands, explore frozen flowers in water and ice, jump onto soft-play stepping stones and listen to enthusiastic staff singing nursery rhymes and songs. The sound of laughter resonates throughout the nursery.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. They fully understand what is expected of them as staff teach the children manners and behavioural expectations, right from the youngest children to those preparing for school. For example, when staff shake a tambourine, children immediately stop what they are doing and listen with intent. This is embedded into practice throughout the nursery. Staff are positive role models and have high expectations for children. As a result, children are incredibly polite and share the resources. For example, a child asks another child if they can borrow a shovel. The child responds immediately, saying, 'Yes, of course you can,' and is then thanked by the child for their kind sharing.

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

• All children enjoy a wealth of ambitious and carefully planned learning experiences. They are appropriately challenged and supported to move on to their next stage of learning by staff. For example, children become deeply engaged as they mould seashells into play dough, and staff talk about the pattern and imprint. Staff hold the shells up to children's ears and ask them what they can hear. Children respond with excitement, saying they can hear the sea. Staff encourage the children to talk about their own experiences of being at the seaside.
• Children's communication skills are developing to the highest standard. Staff provide a constant commentary and use all opportunities to build children's language. Babies babble during their exploratory play and confidently crawl to the next inviting activity. Young children learn new words, such as 'pips', 'flesh' and 'stripy rind', as they cut their own snack. Pre-school children show deep-level thinking and are able to confidently talk about and model what they know when they plant seeds.
• Staff skilfully help children to become fully independent from a young age. Babies feed themselves competently, and older babies and young children independently wash and dry their hands. Pre-school children manage their own personal care needs exceptionally well, recognising when friends need support and confidently offering help. They wipe tables and sweep the floor. This gives them a real sense of independence and responsibility.
• Staff support children to have a very strong understanding of healthy lifestyles. The nursery chef provides home-cooked meals that are balanced and nutritious. Staff talk to the children about healthy food, and children are highly engaged in conversations about what vegetables they like to eat. Their oral health is supported exceptionally well through supervised toothbrushing.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported to the highest level. The special educational needs coordinator applies her extensive knowledge to tailoring individual support plans for children. Staff work together with other professionals, such as speech therapists and early years support teams, to devise strategies and targets. Staff are consistent in following the plans. As a result, children make excellent progress.
• Staff provide an inclusive and child-centred experience, which creates a sense of belonging for all children. Children who speak English as an additional language are given the best possible support. Staff speak to children in their home language and English. As children progress through the nursery, the need to speak in dual language diminishes as older children can competently communicate using the English language.
• The inspirational management team is passionate about ensuring that staff are well supported and happy in their roles. Staff receive regular supervision sessions and peer-on-peer observations. Professional development targets for staff are designed to inspire and encourage them to continually expand and build on their already excellent knowledge. They discuss and evaluate the impact that their ongoing professional development has on the children and the setting. Staff speak with enthusiasm about their roles and how they love working at the nursery. They say the best part of their role is seeing the children progress.
• Parents are incredibly happy with the communication, care and support that their children receive. They express their confidence about how happy their children are and how much progress they make. They comment on the detailed support that their children receive to prepare them for school and how strong their relationships are with the manager and staff.