Kids Academy - West Park

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy to arrive at this welcoming nursery. They are excited to see their friends and eager to start their day. Children show that they feel safe and secure. They have formed warm and trusting relationships with staff, who are supportive and caring. For example, staff who care for younger children provide cuddles and reassurance, and know them well.

Staff have high expectations for every child. Children behave well and are confident. They show a good understanding of the daily routines and of what is expected of them. Children learn to share resources with others during activities, and be kind to their friends. Staff give children plenty of praise for their efforts. This supports children's emotional well-being. Staff plan activities to help children learn about feelings and emotions. For example, staff talk to children about how they are feeling. They use visual prompts, such as picture cards, to support children's understanding.

Children confidently select from a wide range of activities and resources. For example, younger children use spades to collect leaves and fill their buckets. Older children enjoy pouring powdered paints into puddles of water, and experiment with colours. Children make good progress in their learning and gain many skills in preparation for school.

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

• Children have lots of opportunities to develop their independence skills. For example, older children take off their own coats and hang them up when they arrive. Younger children attempt to put on their own puddle suits and shoes. Staff encourage children to wipe their own noses and wash their hands. Children develop a good level of independence and self-care skills.
• Staff place a strong focus on developing children's communication and language skills. They provide a language-rich environment, where children enjoy listening to stories and sharing books with their friends. Staff repeat words and model language well using the correct pronunciation. Key words in home languages are used to help children feel settled and secure.
• Children learn through child-led play. They have plenty of opportunities to choose from the wide range of activities and resources on offer. However, during planned group time, younger children become distracted by other activities that staff have set up. As a result, children lose interest and do not focus fully on and engage in the intended learning.
• Staff have well-established partnerships with parents. Parents speak positively about staff and their children's experiences at the nursery. They say that they like the daily discussions and enjoy reading about their children's day online.
• Parents know what their children have been learning and are grateful for the help and support they receive.
• The manager is passionate about providing well-being support and training for her staff team. Staff have recently attended sustainability training to help the nursery protect and support the environment. They benefit from regular supervision sessions. However, the manager has not yet put sharply focused training in place, to support staff to build on their knowledge and teaching skills.
• Children have a range of opportunities to learn about healthy lifestyles. They spend time throughout the day being physically active in the well-resourced outdoor areas. Children learn about the importance of keeping their teeth clean, as they practise using a toothbrush to clean model teeth. The nursery chef provides children with fresh, home-cooked meals each day. Children enjoy cooking activities led by the chef, where they learn to make different foods, such as pizzas.
• There are lots of opportunities for children to extend their mathematical skills. For example, pre-school children enjoy sorting and ordering number blocks. Staff encourage them to use and develop their counting and addition skills. Children are confident using number, size and quantity in their play, and make good progress in their mathematical development.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. The manager and the special educational needs coordinator work well with the local authority and external agencies, such as speech and language therapists. As a result, all children make good progress from their starting points.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• target professional development of staff more precisely to raise the quality of education to an even higher level
• organise group activities to develop children's concentration skills without distraction, so that they get the most from the learning opportunities offered.