Kids Planet Hebburn

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive in this caring nursery. Staff are dedicated to giving children the best possible start in life. Children come in happily and greet their friends with enthusiasm. Babies are confident and at ease in the nursery. They benefit from the caring, warm and nurturing approach of staff. Older children are incredibly excited to see the giant snails back in their room. They eagerly prepare food for them. Staff use this opportunity to reinforce safety. For example, before children chop up the food, staff explain how they must hold the knife to keep themselves safe.

Parents appreciate the support that staff gave them during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the ideas to develop their children's learning at home. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) speak very highly of the support that staff have given them. Staff have high expectations of children's learning and behaviour. For example, as children help themselves to food or drink, staff remind them to say please and thank you. Children's behaviour is managed well. Staff take time to explain their expectations to children. Staff working with younger children take time to help children to understand the need for taking turns.

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

• Staff know children well, including what they are interested in and what they want children to learn. They use this knowledge to organise the learning environment and prepare activities. Children thoroughly enjoy exploring the farm animals. Staff use this interest effectively to develop children's learning. For example, two-year-old children learn about the different sounds that animals make.
• Staff think carefully about the order in which children develop new skills. For instance, at mealtimes, toddlers progress from using a spoon to beginning to use a fork. Children in the 'Tots' room begin to develop skills, such as pouring. Their independence is encouraged further as children progress into the next room and serve themselves.
• There is a strong focus on supporting children's emotional well-being. Staff use stories effectively to help children to talk about their feelings and emotions. For example, children use colours to talk about how they feel.
• Staff working with older children develop children's communication well. They model language effectively and use single words to develop children's vocabulary. However, staff working with babies and toddlers do not always adapt their language effectively when talking to children. Sometimes they use longer sentences, particularly when they are giving children instructions or talking to children. When this happens, children do not understand and are unable to follow the instructions. This impacts on the rate that younger children develop their communication skills.
• Children enjoy a range of healthy meals and snacks. They learn how they can keep themselves healthy. Children learn the importance of washing their hands after touching animals, or preparing food or eating. Older children talk about foods that are good for them. They learn how they can look after their teeth. Staff use strategies, such as toothbrushing, to support children's learning further.
• The support for children with SEND is a strength of the nursery. Staff swiftly identify children who need additional support and work effectively with other professionals. They have very good knowledge of strategies to support children. These strategies are extremely well thought out and tailored to children's needs and preferences. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that these strategies are consistently used to support children's progress. This contributes to the excellent progress children make.
• Although there are arrangements in place to support staff's professional development, this is not sufficiently focused. Managers do not always monitor the impact of this on staff practice. For example, they are yet to monitor the training that staff have accessed online. Therefore, they have not identified that some staff have not accessed training.
• Children in receipt of funding make very good progress. Funding is used effectively. For example, staff use the funding to buy resources linked to children's interests and motivations. This extends children's engagement and supports their progress effectively.
• Staff have a very good relationship with parents. Parents feel that the communication with the nursery is very good. They know what their children are doing in nursery. Parents value the ideas that staff give them to extend their children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen communication with younger children to support their language development even further
• focus professional development more effectively and monitor the effectiveness of training to raise the quality of education to a higher level.