Kids Planet Halewood

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive to a warm welcome from staff who know them well. Staff help children to feel safe and secure as they provide lots of cuddles and reassurance throughout the day. When minor disagreements occur, staff respond calmly and encourage children to talk about how they are feeling. Children eagerly work together to find a solution. This contributes to helping children when they experience big emotions.

Children's imaginations are nurtured by the responsive staff. Staff provide a play environment that helps ignite curiosity and fun. Children eagerly explore the exciting resources to enhance their role play. Babies use sponge bricks as telephones and staff join them and talk together. Older children create their own play. They create an imaginary roller coaster for their friends. They play cooperatively and value each other's suggestions. Children are highly motivated and make good progress in their learning.

Staff have high expectations for what children can achieve. Children of all ages wipe their own faces and wash their own hands. Older children serve out their own meals and pour drinks for their friends as they take on the role as the 'helper'. They relish in the opportunity to tidy up and eagerly find the brush to help to sweep the floor. Children show high levels of self-esteem and confidence.

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

• Staff spend lots of time talking, singing and reading with children. They model correct language and introduce new words as they play alongside children such as 'root'. As staff begin to sing, children eagerly join in with some words and actions. Babies cuddle up with staff and explore books and the textures of the pages. Children show real interest as staff read aloud to them. Older children talk together in the group about the story and link this to their own experiences from home. These experiences help children to become confident communicators.
• Staff prioritise developing children's physical skills. Staff provide a range of equipment and present activities in a way that encourage children to be physically active. Children work together to make a balance beam and confidently climb across. They have been taught to bend their knees as they land. Children have been shown how to dribble with footballs which they do with ease. Children develop strong physical skills.
• Staff skilfully weave opportunities to promote children's early mathematical knowledge into play and everyday routines. As children build towers, staff encourage them to count the bricks and introduce language such as big and bigger. Children demonstrate their knowledge as they play. When taking part in a game together they use the available resources to measure each other to see if they are tall enough to join the imaginary roller coaster. Children have developed an interest in mathematics and make good progress in this area of their learning.
• Parents are fully involved in their children's learning. They are welcomed into the nursery to take part in events, such as world book day, where they read stories to the children in their home languages. Parents have many opportunities to share updates about their children and to be updated about any progress from nursery through the dedicated app, verbal discussions and face-to-face meetings. These respectful relationships provide consistency for children's learning and help them to make good progress.
• Leaders prioritise children's health and wellbeing. Robust systems are in place to support children who have any identified health needs. Children spend lots of time outside in the fresh air, being active. They are encouraged to notice nature and to care for plants and vegetables that they grow. Regular opportunities are provided for children to exercise and to get out of breath. Staff ask parents to share photographs of children's visits to the dentist and use these to discuss the importance of oral health with children. Staff help children to learn about the different things that contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
• Staff value the range of training and support that leaders provide. However, leaders do not monitor staff practice closely enough. This means that professional development is not targeted to help staff specifically build on their individual skills and knowledge. Furthermore, leaders have not checked that staff fully understand the intended curriculum. Some staff are not able to explain what they want the children to learn through the planned activities they provide. As a result, these experiences do not always build on what children already know.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide closer monitoring of practice, to target support that helps staff to specifically build on their individual skills and knowledge
• help staff to have a better understanding of what leaders intend for children to learn.