Kids Planet Carrington

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop strong bonds with the staff, who know them well. This helps them to settle quickly as they come into the nursery. Children are happy and enthusiastic to learn and staff support them to become independent with their personal skills. For example, older children learn to use cutlery at lunchtime. Younger children wash their hands themselves before they eat lunch. These important skills prepare them for their next stage in learning, such as their eventual move on to school.

Staff support children to learn about healthy lifestyles and provide them with daily access to the outdoors. Babies enjoy splashing in puddles and older children practise their physical skills on balance bikes and while pedalling on the tricycles.

Children benefit from a well-sequenced curriculum, which staff use to support children's learning. For example, toddlers explore resources from a familiar story and talk about where the bear is hiding. Staff support the development of children's emotional well-being with gentle and kind interactions. Babies show they feel secure as they go to staff for comfort and reassurance when they feel upset. Staff sensitively guide children's behaviour and gently explain about being kind to others. They help children to understand their emotions and learn to regulate their own behaviour.

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

• Leaders and staff implement an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that considers the needs and interests of the children. They monitor and assess children's progress to identify what children need to learn next and plan activities that offer children opportunities to learn and develop. For example, babies spend extended periods of time exploring sensory experiences as they mix potions with petals and smell the coriander and mint in the play dough. Older children look for insects as they complete a scavenger hunt, talking to staff about the insects they have found.
• Children are highly engaged as they freely explore the resources that have been well planned to ignite their curiosity. Staff use their interactions to support children to investigate and develop their own ideas and thoughts. However, at times, staff in the pre-school room do not give children further challenge or allow them time to think for themselves. For example, staff read familiar stories but do not challenge children to recall the story or talk about the characters in the story for themselves.
• Staff use a variety of strategies to support children's communication skills, such as using signs and symbols to help children's understanding of key vocabulary. They model new words to develop children's early language skills. For example, they name the features of tadpoles children are watching grow. However, staff do not consistently use age-appropriate skills, such as expecting toddlers to put two words together as they talk in the role-play area.
• Children behave well, follow instructions and listen to staff. They show respect for their friends and willingly share resources and involve each other in activities. For example, children share buckets and spades as they build sand castles so that their friends can join in, helping children learn how to build strong and meaningful relationships.
• Staff provide children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and English as an additional language with a learning environment supportive of their needs. They work closely with outside agencies and parents to ensure that children receive the best support. Funding is used effectively to extend children's experiences. For example, staff support children's physical development and core strength with weekly yoga sessions. Children enjoy stretching their legs, standing on one leg being as tall as a tree and showing their friends their cat stretch as they curve their back.
• Parents speak highly of the staff at the nursery and express gratitude for the support and advice they offer them. They benefit from activities to support children's learning at home and staff share children's development and what children need to learn next at regular meetings. Parents value settling-in sessions and appreciate how staff adapt these to meet their needs. They say children are supported in their transitions to new rooms in the nursery and when they finally move to school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to challenge older children to think for themselves and build on what they already know
• strengthen how staff use their skills and understanding of when and how to further extend children's communication skills.