Kido Chiswick

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive to a warm welcome from staff. Staff speak to parents to get any updates that can impact a child's day to share with the team. Children's well-being is at the heart of what the nursery provides. Staff use a calm and nurturing approach towards children. This helps them to feel safe and secure, ready to begin their learning. Children have good routines overall, which help them understand expectations and rules. Children learn to wait their turn and share with their friends. Conflicts are quickly resolved. Children behave well in the nursery.

Children are respectful towards one another and have a good attitude to learning. For example, when a small group of children sit and listen to an activity relating to the story 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt', children share their views with staff. They recall some previous learning, such as how a book is created. Staff point to parts of the book, and children remember 'pages' and a 'spine'. Children make links to their learning and share that our body also has a spine.

The manager and her staff have high expectations for every child to reach their full potential. The curriculum ensures that children are learning in stages and building on what they know now and what they need to learn next. Children's interests are included in the planning to ensure children engage in learning. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress.

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

• Leaders are ambitious for every child to have a wide range of learning experiences. When children begin at the nursery, leaders and staff work with parents to ensure settling-in procedures provide children with reassurance and support. Children's likes and dislikes are quickly established, so children are supported in their play experiences. Planning for children is flexible so that new interests or subjects can be adapted to engage and delight.
• Learning is extended during the week so that children can build a range of learning techniques. For example, children learn about 'The Three Little Pigs' story. They paint the houses from cardboard boxes as a group. Parents are asked to support their children at home to adapt their own 'Three Little Pigs' home, which children proudly display in the nursery. Children use puppets and their imagination to bring the story to life.
• Staff have regular supervision sessions and meetings. The well-being of staff is important to the leadership team. Staff value this. Supervision sessions establish staff's strengths and training needs. Staff have access to a wide range of training opportunities that support teaching practice.
• Children develop good communication and language skills, including those who speak English as an additional language. Staff talk to children throughout the day and listen as children share their experiences. Babies delight in hearing nursery rhymes and respond with sounds. Staff ask children questions, and children recall what they have learned. Staff are skilful in extending language, so children build on their vocabulary. For example, children dig up potatoes that they have previously planted in the garden. Staff use vocabulary so that children learn about the growth cycle. Children excitedly pull small potatoes from the root, and staff say that they will cook them the next day to eat.
• Children learn to develop a love of books. Literacy opportunities provide time for children to listen, build their language and recall parts of the story that are familiar to them. Books are available for children in all rooms, and many learning opportunities are based around books that thrill and engage children.
• Children are building the skills from an early age to support early writing. They roll and squeeze play dough. They trace numbers on the sand trays and learn to hold pencils while they trace letters. Older children move on to copying letters as they begin to prepare for school.
• Children are learning about healthy lifestyles. They have regular outdoor play throughout the day. They enjoy manoeuvring the trikes around the play area and building their core strength by balancing on boards. They use the physical development session to jump, hop and stretch their bodies. Children have time to sleep after lunch, and staff provide comfort as children recharge their bodies ready for the afternoon. During mealtimes, children learn how to feed themselves independently. However, sometimes at mealtimes, staff in some rooms do not always manage the routine effectively. This leads to young children becoming restless while they wait for their food. Occasionally, older children are unsure when there are changes to the routine.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen mealtime routines to prevent young children from becoming restless and to support their well-being.