Kids Planet Hazelhurst

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive eager and ready to learn, welcomed by friendly and positive staff members. They benefit from positive interactions with their key person, where they build secure relationships and bonds. Staff encourage babies to practice singing and babbling to build their early vocabulary, benefiting from stories and song time. They encourage toddlers to learn how to understand and express their feelings and emotions and engage in sensory exploration. While older children in preschool are supported to develop the vital independence skills they will need as they move into school.

Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour and promote good manners, politeness, sharing and turn taking. Children know what to expect and there are strong routines and boundaries in place to support the management of behaviour. Care practices are effective and children are taught about the importance of good hand hygiene. Staff help to develop children's independence skills in preparation for school such as self-serving their food and managing their own personal hygiene needs. Children benefit from healthy snacks and meals. Staff are further developing the outdoor area to provide a space for growing vegetables that children can use for snacks, or parents can access with recipe cards.

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

• Leaders and staff plan a curriculum which reflects the needs of the children who attend. The curriculum aims to build on what children already know and can do, and further develop their skills and abilities as they move through the rooms. This helps children to become confident and enthusiastic learners.
• The curriculum is ambitious and supports the needs and interests of the children. Planning and learning is clearly progressive across the setting, building on children's previous experiences and supporting them to make progress in their learning. This ensures children make progress across all areas of learning.
• Practitioners interactions are of a high quality. Children respond positively to staff and develop good relationships with others in their class. The key person system is highly effective and well embedded to ensure children are secure in their relationships with staff.
• Children benefit from regular story time sessions, with enthusiastic staff who bring the characters to life. However, due to the organisation and routine of story time, not all children benefit form the valuable communication and language skills they provide.
• Staff support children to develop the skills they need so that they are well prepared for their move to school. However, some activities that teach older children early phonics skills do not reflect their stage of development.
• The provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a key strength of the setting. There are excellent early intervention practices in place to ensure children get the support that they need to make progress in their learning. Staff work closely with parents, professionals, and other agencies to ensure the children receive the best support they can to help them to make progress, no matter how small.
• Partnership with parents is a strength of this setting. Parents are given a voice to put forward their suggestions and can see where changes are being implemented, such as the new security systems and home learning packs. This supports strong relationships between the setting and home to promote positive outcomes for children. Parents are happy with the care their children receive. They confidently know who their child's key person is and talk about the staff who work with their child. Parents report that their children are happy to come to nursery and have made progress in their learning. This shows effective partnerships between the setting and parents which helps to support children's learning.
• Leadership and management is highly effective with lots of support in place for staff progression and well-being. Staff know what is expected from them and there is a robust induction and training programme in place to support their development. This helps to encourage a positive work-life balance, and supports staff in providing a happy and safe environment for children.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the organisation of group activities, such as story times, to ensure all children have the opportunity to extend their vocabulary and communication skills
• further develop the curriculum for literacy to ensure activities are age-appropriate and accurately reflect children's next steps.