Kids' Country Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children and their families are at the heart of this welcoming nursery. Children happily and safely access the activities on offer and engage in purposeful learning. Quiet chatter fills the air as children engage in conversations with their friends and staff. Babies thoroughly enjoy exploring a range of messy and sensory materials. Toddlers show eagerness and enthusiasm as they discuss the smells of citrus fruit in the water tray. Older children use a range of tools safely to create and decorate models they have made from dough. Children are consistently motivated and display extremely positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to try new experiences and engage in meaningful play with their friends.

Children behave exceptionally well, staff have high expectations of behaviour. Children follow instructions and show great maturity. For example, pre-school children happily play games together and manage turn taking and sharing with great confidence. Staff care about how children feel and give children consistent encouragement and praise. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have placed great importance on ensuring that children develop their resilience and emotional well-being. They have ensured that every child has an extremely supportive relationship with at least one adult. As a result, children feel secure and show great confidence.

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

• The curriculum is sequenced and builds on what children already know and can do. For example, young children enjoy exploring sounds they make as they play with instruments. Toddlers listen for sounds in the environment, while pre-school children confidently play games and can recognise the sounds that letters make in words. These skills help to prepare children for when they start school and learn to read.
• Children are encouraged to enjoy a wide range of books. Staff recognise that some children are reluctant to participate in large-group story times. To overcome this, staff ensure that books are available for children to use as they play. For example, children delight as staff read books about nature when out in the extensive garden. Parents and family members often visit the nursery to read to children. This helps children to develop a love of reading.
• Staff well-being has been prioritised by the managers. Staff have access to a safe space to talk or relax in if they feel they need to. They receive consistent recognition of their hard work from managers through rewards, treats and team days out. Staff eagerly leave positive comments about their colleagues on a comment board. This boosts staff morale, as they know they are valued by each other and by managers.
• Children are very caring and understanding towards their friends. Staff are excellent role models, they show children empathy and understanding. They try very hard to understand what they can do to make children happy. For example, lunchtime is a happy and social experience in which children eat in small groups. Staff explain children did not enjoy eating in a large groups. Children learn to talk about their emotions and feelings. They confidently express themselves and explain how they feel.
• Children are supported to recognise and value the similarities and differences between themselves and others. Children develop a real sense of collective responsibility for the community, they litter pick in the local area and visit nursing homes to sing with older people. Staff read stories to children that explore different families, for example families with same sex parents. Children remark that 'families are all different'. Children gain an excellent understanding of life in modern Britain.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Parents are encouraged to be part of the parents' council and give feedback to managers. This is used to plan improvements for children. Parents comments are overwhelmingly positive about the staff team and the progress that their children have made. Parents are fully informed about their children's experiences.
• Staff are enthusiastic and motivated. They are led by passionate leaders who strive to provide a high standard of care and education. Staff practice is monitored regularly. However, feedback and development opportunities offered to staff are not always sharply focused to ensure that the highest quality of teaching is consistently achieved.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• focus staff development even more precisely, so that all teaching is always of the highest quality.