Kids Planet Ashbrooke

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this nursery, where staff treat them as part of their 'family'. Parents say staff are loving, caring and passionate. Children develop excellent relationships with staff and their key person. For example, children enjoy cuddles with staff in the morning until they feel able to explore the environment independently. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, older children learn to go up and down the stairs safely. Two- and three-year-old children learn how to use wooden chopping tools safely as they chop up lemons to make lemonade.

The curriculum is ambitious. For example, staff use a range of strategies to support children's developing language skills. For example, they use stories and songs throughout the day to expand their vocabulary. Staff use a range of simple phrases or single words to develop this further. Children copy and repeat what staff have said. Older children confidently express their thoughts and ideas. Parents are delighted with the progress that children have made. They believe their children are thriving. Children behave well. They know the routines and expectations of the nursery. For example, they line up at the door and wait for staff to count them before they go upstairs. Any minor issues with sharing are dealt with swiftly, as staff remind children to share with their friends.

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

• The nursery has very strong links with the local community. Older children are acutely aware of how they can look after their environment, examples of this include litter picking in the local park. Staff have established a community council with older children. This helps children to reflect on ways that they can improve their environment.
• Staff provide a range of meaningful opportunities to help children learn about cultures beyond their own. For example, staff and children thoroughly enjoy preparing for and learning about the traditions of a Bengali wedding. They learn about the tradition of henna painting on the bride's hands and explore this in nursery.
• Managers are committed to the ongoing development of the nursery. Recent changes in the leadership team have led to a full evaluation of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. There have been significant improvements in the nursery. An in-house accreditation has enabled them to reflect thoroughly on their practice. They have detailed improvement plans to ensure that this will continue.
• Staff working with babies have a very good understanding of how to meet their individual needs. They gather detailed information from parents to help them to understand how they can support children effectively. They are very aware of children's interests and use these to extend children's learning.
• Staff usually use a range of strategies to engage and motivate children. For example, pre-school children thoroughly enjoy a listening activity. Staff count down using their fingers to gain children's attention before they sing, 'What's in the box?' On a small number of occasions, however, staff do not always identify swiftly enough when children begin to lose engagement in their play. This means that they lose concentration.
• Staff have a very good relationship with each other and are good role models. However, sometimes, the information shared between staff in the room is not sufficiently detailed to ensure that they are able to support all children to a higher level.
• Children develop a good awareness of how they can keep themselves healthy. For example, they enjoy plenty of fresh air and exercise as they play in the well-equipped garden. Children enjoy a healthy diet. A move to starters in place of desserts support this even further. From a young age, staff teach children to wash hands before eating and after using the toilet. Children manage this with increasing independence as they move through the nursery.
• All children, including those in receipt of funding, make very good progress. Managers use funding effectively to meet children's individual needs. For example, they provide calming spaces for children to regulate their emotions. They work well with a range of professionals to identify individual targets.
• Staff develop a good relationship with parents. They use a range of methods of communication to ensure parents are aware of their child's day. They hold a range of events to ensure parents are fully involved in the life of the nursery. Examples include an open day for fathers in the park to celebrate Father's Day. Parents value the communication, including the termly information they receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help children to maintain high levels of engagement to further extend their learning
• improve information sharing between room staff to ensure that all staff can respond effectively to children's emerging needs.