Kids 1st at Great Park

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children do well at this exciting and inviting setting. They happily arrive, confident to independently explore the activities and resources on offer. New children and their families are sensitively supported in making a smooth move from home to nursery. For example, staff encourage parents to record their voices on electronic buttons, so that children can hear them throughout the day. Furthermore, photos of children's families are displayed around the setting. This helps children to settle quickly into the setting.

Staff aim for every child to become confident, independent and a good communicator by the time they leave the setting. Children who speak English as an additional language show their developing skills, such as joining in with singing and rhymes. Staff use words from their home language and picture prompts, to help children understand the daily routines. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children play cooperatively, take turns and share resources successfully.

Older children enjoy being in the stimulating outdoor area, where they have many opportunities to be active and to explore. They spend time planting fruit and vegetables in their 'grow zone'. Children plant herbs, kale, runner beans and green beans. They harvest the vegetables and use them in the mud kitchen to make 'soup'. This helps children to develop an understanding of nature and how things grow.

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

• The manager and staff team are passionate and focused. They plan an ambitious educational programme, which is based on the needs and interests of the children. Staff observe children through play and encourage them to practise their developing skills. For example, children make marks with paint brushes and on chalk boards. This helps to develop their early writing skills.
• Staff work in close partnership with professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The experienced SEND coordinator provides advice and support to staff. They carefully consider strategies to support children and devise comprehensive individual learning plans. This helps children with SEND make the best possible progress from their starting points.
• The experienced manager supports the team well. Staff report that their well-being is good, and they receive support in their role from the manager and the wider staff team. The manager is an excellent role model. She observes staff's teaching and provides them with constructive feedback to further improve their teaching. Staff complete regular training. This helps to keep their knowledge and skills up to date.
• The manager and staff plan an exceptionally exciting outdoor for older children. They have daily access to the outdoor area, where they can develop their physical skills. For instance, children climb and jump from wooden structures, throw balls and explore the mud kitchen. Toddlers ride balance bikes and make marks on chalk boards. However, the educational programme for younger children's outdoor area is not as well planned. For instance, babies do not have as many opportunities to access resources and equipment in the outdoor area.
• Parents speak very positively about the setting and are happy with the care provided. Staff speak to parents on a daily basis about children's time at the setting. They regularly share observations and photos through an online app. Staff value children's home life, and often ask parents to share the activities that children carry out at home. Parents describe the staff team as 'absolutely amazing'.
• Staff show a consistently good level of teaching. They promote children's independence and provide praise and encouragement. For example, staff encourage children to keep on trying when using scissors and knives. They show children how to chop carrots with a knife, and snip cabbage with scissors. However, occasionally, staff do not recognise when quieter children are sitting, not engaged in activities. This means quieter, less confident children do not always get the same learning opportunities.
• Staff are very caring, sensitive and nurturing. Babies who are unsettled are quickly provided with cuddles and reassurance. Staff encourage children to be kind and considerate to each other. Where children need support, staff use age-appropriate techniques to encourage positive behaviour. Children of all ages learn the difference between right and wrong.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• make better use of the outdoor environment in the baby rooms, so that children, particularly those who learn better outdoors, can benefit through independent play and exploration
• support staff to identify the quieter children, to make sure that they have the same learning experiences as the more confident children.