Kids Planet Chesterfield

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are happy when they enter this welcoming nursery. They are confident to leave their parents and settle quickly. Children who arrive less confident and self-assured, are supported by the caring staff. They are encouraged to engage in conversation and pronounce words correctly to further develop their communication and language skills. For example, they use words to describe shapes and patterns made by the leaves, sticks and flowers. They talk together about various minibeasts. The children confidently ask and respond to questions, including 'what other creatures have pincers?'. This activity is enriched as staff flexibly adapt the conversation when the children change the topic to sea creatures.

Children behave well. They understand the expectations that staff have of them. Staff are good role models, and use positive praise and reinforcement to help children to manage their emotions and learn acceptable behaviour. Children understand the nursery routine and conduct themselves well. For example, they put on their coats and shoes and line up to go outside. Children patiently wait to wash their hands and brush their teeth after snack. All children are respectful to staff and have secure relationships with them. They seek out familiar adults for reassurance.

Children are well supported by staff. Young children learn about animals, where they live, and the different sounds they make. They play in the tuff tray with farmyard animals, hay, soil and lentils. They giggle and screech with excitement as staff spontaneously engage them in a story about animals in the cosy corner.

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

• Leaders plan and provide an enticing environment for the children to explore. Resources across the nursery are widely accessible, and play spaces are well defined. Outside areas each provide access to a mud kitchen, a sensory garden, play dens, and age-appropriate equipment to challenge children's physical development.
• Key-person systems are effective. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that they get to know each individual child well. They talk to parents every day to gather information and offer feedback. This, along with information shared via an online application, helps staff to understand children's routines and interests.
• Babies confidently explore the environment as they begin to make sense of their world. They are fascinated by sensory experiences, such as mark making using safe edible paints. Their socialisation skills are supported to a high level. This is demonstrated as staff sit with the babies to sing songs. For example, staff sing 'Five little speckled frogs' while babies listen attentively. They laugh and smile when staff use gestures to bring the song to life.
• Children gain a good understanding of a healthy lifestyle through daily 'pulse out of breath warm' activities. For example, during an obstacle race, older children jump through hoops, jump off a large log, step across crate stepping stones, and throw a ball into a bucket. Children excitedly clap and cheer to encourage their friends. Through these activities, children develop good levels of self-esteem and confidence, and learn to take safe risks.
• Leaders plan a clear curriculum for communication and language. Staff listen to what children are saying and they make good eye contact with them. They ask children questions in response to what they say to develop the discussion further. This teaches children good conversational skills. However, staff do not always give children time to verbalise their response to the questions they ask.
• Overall, the curriculum is well planned to meet the needs of the children. Leaders ensure that children transition through nursery according to their age and stage of learning and development. However, this is not consistently implemented by all staff. For instance, while staff know the ages of the children that have transitioned, they do not always understand what they already know and can do. This means that, sometimes, the activities offered are not always tailored to children's specific learning needs.
• Children show a good attitude to learning and enjoy playing with their friends. For example, they talk with each other as they chop and mix vegetables in the home corner. This type of play helps children to build their self-confidence and social skills. However, staff do not always encourage less-confident children to play and socialise with other children.
• Parents and carers speak highly of the nursery. They comment that staff 'go above and beyond' and 'are very supportive'. Parents state that staff keep them well informed about their children's progress. Staff provide opportunities for parents to extend their child's learning at home, such as through the use of take-home activity bags. This promotes good partnerships with parents and ensures continuity of learning between home and nursery.
• There is a robust staff appraisal process. Leaders are committed to closely monitoring the quality of staff practice. Staff have good opportunities to advance their professional development to enhance their individual skills. The workload, mental health and well-being of staff are closely monitored by the leaders. As a result, staff feel well supported.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the organisation of transitions through the setting to help staff plan more effectively regarding what it is children know and need to learn next
• build on staff's questioning techniques to allow children time to think and respond
• encourage staff to use strategies to help children to engage in play with others.