Kids Inc Day Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy and settled at this warm and welcoming nursery. They show that they feel safe and secure as a result of the effective key-person system. Staff take time to get to know children and their families throughout the well-considered settling-in process. Children's individual needs are taken into account when they join. This supports the seamless transition for children between home and nursery.

Children show high levels of happiness and are deeply engaged in their play and learning. Committed staff provide a range of opportunities that expand on children's interests. Children show positive attitudes to their play and are developing social interactions and secure friendships. Behaviour is good. Staff praise children often and help them to develop self-esteem and a 'can-do' attitude. Any low-level disputes are managed effectively through discussions about expectations and positive choices.

The curriculum is broad and ambitious. It is consistently understood by staff and delivered across the setting, which means that all children receive a rich and enjoyable set of experiences. Leaders have thought about how to give children the best experiences that build on their knowledge and develop cultural capital. Children are making excellent progress across the areas of learning.

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

• Communication and language is strong. Children sing, listen to stories and engage in high-quality conversation. Outside, children re-enact the story 'We're going on a bear hunt'. They use their knowledge of the story and walk through the long grass and the sticky mud. Staff use new and interesting words with the youngest children such as 'bouncing' and 'rolling' as they model actions with balls.
• Staff tailor support for disadvantaged children to ensure the best outcomes for them. They have a deep knowledge of the children, including their starting points. Targeted support means that any gaps in children's learning and development are rapidly closing.
• Children develop confidence in their physical skills as they run, climb and crawl. Older children manage risks as they navigate balance beams with increasing skill. They are developing resilience, quickly stepping back onto the planks when they lose their balance.
• Younger children explore their senses. They use scoops to move sand and delight as water splashes over their hands. In the shiny tray, children explore the sounds that a foil blanket makes. Staff use words such as 'rustle' and 'crunch' to describe what they hear.
• When older children show curiosity about their environment, staff support questions and ideas and help children to extend narratives, such as when they spot a pigeon in the tree. They discuss why it is in the tree and what colour it is. After a joint discussion, children decide that its feathers are a blueberry colour.
• Children show secure awareness of mathematical concepts, such as counting, quantity, shape, colour and size. They are able to apply these skills to other areas of learning, such as when making giant shapes with sticks.
• Children are independent. They manage tasks for themselves, managing their personal hygiene and putting on their coats and shoes. Sometimes, staff are too ambitious for the younger children. They have not considered the physical skills that children need to gain before they are ready for the next stage, such as when pouring water from jugs.
• Staff take children to visit the local library, shops and the local fairy garden. They encourage children to search for environmental print, such as road signs and door numbers. Children are becoming committed global citizens as they learn about recycling and visit the local greengrocer to purchase organic foods.
• Leaders are inspiring. They seek new and interesting ways to enrich children's learning and experiences. Critical reflection is used to identify the strengths and weaknesses in teaching. This helps to identify the most appropriate professional development for staff and leads to consistent improvements in the curriculum and quality of teaching.
• Parents express how happy they are with the care and education their children receive. They feel fortunate to have a place and value the warm and welcoming environment. They commend the daily updates they receive about their children. However, not all parents are clear about how and where to find information about the progress their children make. This means they are not always able to extend the learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to recognise when children need to develop fundamental skills before moving them on to more complex tasks before they are ready
• review how information about children's progress is shared with parents and ensure that they know how and where to access this information.