Kids Planet Hartburn

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff strive to support every child who attends and meet their individual care and learning needs. Staff use regular assessments to identify areas where children need further support and use strategies to help minimise gaps in their learning. For example, staff use screening assessments and a specific language development programme to support children. They show progress in this area when reassessed and no longer require any referrals to other professionals, such as speech and language therapy. Extra funding is used to benefit children for whom it is intended. Leaders and staff are developing this further to help reduce barriers to learning, such as the introduction of physical development sessions.

Typically, leaders ensure that all staff know and understand how to support children. There is a positive ethos around inclusion, and staff talk about how this is everyone's responsibility. Staff use a range of targeted plans and interventions, which are shared between parents and other settings that children attend. They promote partnership working, which creates continuity and consistency for children. This has a positive impact on their progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff provide children with a broad, balanced curriculum. They focus on building on children's existing skills and carefully sequence learning experiences. This helps children to build solid foundations for future learning. Staff are clear on children's next steps in learning and adapt their teaching indoors to meet children's needs. This is done particularly well for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as staff adapt experiences to ensure full participation and access. Staff's interactions are not consistently high quality when children are outdoors, despite them showing high levels of interest in activities, and some staff maintain a supervisory role. This means opportunities to extend their learning are missed and children's excitement to learn is not always nurtured.

The curriculum that staff provide to promote children's personal, social and emotional development is a strength. Staff support babies to develop positive relationships with them and help them to feel safe from the start. Young children start to play together, and staff teach them about being kind and gentle. Older children are supported to join in with larger groups and build confidence to share their skills in story time and circle time.

Children benefit from being in a language-rich environment, and this extends into mathematical development. Staff show skill in using mathematical language throughout children's experiences and draw them into discussions about 'how many', 'one more' and 'show me how many'. Young children demonstrate impressive knowledge for their age as they show the correct number of acorns when asked. Older children learn about numerals and play games that involve time language.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make progress across every area of their learning, and they show strengths in their communication and language skills from an early age. Babies watch staff and listen carefully to songs and rhymes, which are then extended by staff who work with toddlers and young children. Staff provide children and families with books that they can take home to develop a love of stories and promote early literacy skills. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from focused support and make appropriate progress in relation to their individual targets and goals.

Typically, children are well prepared for the next stages in their learning, including school. Staff take care and time to prepare children and families as they progress through the nursery from babies to pre-school. Children benefit from smooth transitions, and staff share information about every child before they move on. Staff carefully consider how they can tackle barriers to learning and ensure children are generally provided with a wide range of experiences before they start school, including visits into the local community.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff promote kindness and respect throughout the nursery. They are very good role models and teach children about differences and diversity. For instance, children took part in a bake sale and made contributions to the local community food bank. Staff who work with older children ensure they walk to school to mirror routines they have with their families and enable them to experience their own community. Generally, children are regular attenders and staff encourage this to help them to prepare to start school.

Staff have high expectations of children and typically offer praise for their efforts and achievements. Children's behaviour is pleasant and they demonstrate a positive attitude to their learning. They are polite, well-mannered and have high levels of self-esteem. Overall, staff encourage children to keep trying when they feel challenged and help them to build resilience, although this is not consistent during outdoor learning.

Children benefit from established routines that help them to feel safe and settled. Staff who work with babies and young children ensure they follow routines from home to work in partnership with parents. Older children begin to follow more structured routines in preparation for starting school. For example, staff ask them to help set the table and children sit in the dining area together as they would in the school hall.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

All children show that they feel safe and secure in the nursery. They develop positive, trusting relationships with their key person. Generally, children who are newer to the nursery settle in quickly and staff are responsive to their needs. For instance, staff cuddle babies close to them as this is how they prefer to fall asleep. Staff ensure that they share detailed information with children's new key person when it is time to move up to the next room in the nursery. Parents are invited in to meet their child's new key person, and staff make time to answer any questions they may have. This promotes children's emotional wellbeing and builds positive relationships with families.

Typically, staff follow procedures established by leaders that promote children's welfare, health and self-care. For instance, children are counted back in from the garden space and line up to enable staff to do this effectively. There are clear risk assessment processes in place to help staff maintain safety in areas used by children, and there are appropriate individual risk assessments for children with specific dietary needs and requirements. Children thoroughly enjoy the meals provided. They are balanced, healthy and nutritious. However, on several occasions, staff did not remind children to wash their hands before meals and snack times, including when older children handle cutlery for the whole group. This does not consistently support them to build healthy habits for the future. Leaders are in the process of developing the procedures and staff's practice to promote oral hygiene, which young children are already showing interest in as they explore books about this in the nursery.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

The nursery has recently changed ownership. Leaders prioritise staff's wellbeing and provide positive levels of support. Staff say they have been supported through this process and receive regular one-to-one meetings with leaders and managers. Regional and area managers are regularly in the nursery to review and support new leaders. They have clear oversight of the curriculum and provide honest and accurate evaluation of the provision, identifying their priorities for improvement. For instance, they are enhancing the garden area for babies so it better promotes their physical development.

Leaders support staff who have extra roles within the nursery and ensure they have time out of the rooms to complete any tasks. This ensures their workload is appropriate and helps them to fulfil their role effectively. Staff receive training that supports them to meet children's individual needs. For instance, staff who work with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are trained to use specialist equipment for feeding. This helps staff to meet their care needs. Leaders are embedding the programme of professional development with staff to focus on teaching and the curriculum in specific rooms and areas of practice, to maintain high-quality learning experiences for children.

Leaders and staff establish and maintain effective partnerships with others. They have links with other professionals who work with children and value the relationships they have with families. Newer leaders and staff work hard to ensure parents know who they are and make every attempt to get to know families who attend. This helps them to continue to identify any barriers to learning as families needs change over time.