Kids Planet Henley 2

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive and prosper in this wonderful nursery. They are greeted with warmth and affection by the nurturing staff. Children are immediately inquisitive about their learning. They ask staff excitedly what they will be doing today. Children instantly engage in the activities that have been carefully considered and planned for them to meet their developing needs. For example, when making fruit punch, children are curious about fruits that are unfamiliar to them. Staff talk to children about dragon fruit and expertly encourage them to describe how the fruit looks, smells, and feels. As they do this, staff skilfully introduce and model new vocabulary to children, such as 'soft, slimy' and 'smooth'. This supports children's language and communication effectively.

Extensive amounts of time are spent by children playing and learning in a wonderful outdoor area. Children eagerly participate in pirate role-play activities that are planned specifically to support their physical development. Children exercise their creative thought processes as they mix water and scented flowers to make pirate perfumes. Staff smell the perfumes, and children squeal with delight as they are directed to walk the plank because their perfume is not to staff's liking. Children concentrate as they cautiously balance their way along the wooden plank, before excitedly jumping off into the sea.

Staff are excellent role models for children, and they consistently use positive reinforcement and praise to support children's behaviour. As a result, the children's behaviour in this calm and peaceful nursery is excellent. Staff are passionate about making mealtimes an enjoyable experience for all children. During these times, children are supported highly effectively to develop good levels of independence and responsibility. For example, they confidently pour their own drinks and use serving tongs and spoons to serve themselves delicious and nutritious foods, such as curry and rice.

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

• The dedicated and inspirational manager and her staff have an extensive knowledge and awareness of the nursery community that they serve. As a result, an exciting and thoroughly engaging curriculum is embedded across this impressive nursery that reflects the developmental and personal needs of all children, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• There is an extremely high focus given to supporting the communication and language skills of all children, including those with SEND. Staff adeptly plan learning opportunities and activities for children to support this area of their development. Children make excellent progress as they play excitedly and learn in a language-rich environment that reflects their personal interests.
• The special educational needs and disability coordinator is highly knowledgeable and passionate about her role. This is reflected in the excellent progress that children with SEND achieve within this nursery. She ensures that all staff consistently receive training that extends and enhances their knowledge and understanding of how to support children with SEND across the nursery.
• The key-person system is highly effective. Staff know their children extremely well. They use ongoing observation and professional judgements to monitor children's progress and inform their next steps in learning. These development targets are shared consistently with parents, with whom they develop extremely positive relationships that support children's ongoing learning and development effectively.
• The manager and her dedicated staff are passionate about providing exciting opportunities and experiences for children. For example, children go on bus journeys, and trips to the local park and café, where they enjoy ordering and eating meals. This widens and enriches children's life experiences and helps them to build important life skills.
• Staff masterfully support children's personal development within the nursery and high priority is given to children's voice. Staff skilfully develop children's confidence and self-esteem as they engage them in discussions about the things that are important to them. For example, children on a healthy eating committee meet with nursery cooks to plan and design a menu that includes healthy dishes they enjoy eating. Children also develop a very good understanding about healthy life styles. For example, they tell staff that they will get cavities if they do not clean their teeth after eating sugary foods.
• The manager and staff work extremely closely with a number of local schools to support children and their families during this important period of transition. Staff are acutely aware of the important skills that children need to develop to help them get off to a good start at school. Children enjoy opportunities to engage in school role play, wearing school uniforms and eating packed lunches.
• The manager observes the quality of teaching and learning effectively to skilfully identify key areas for development. She is swift to implement staff training and development, to support continuous improvement that has a positive impact on children's learning and development.
• The nursery has established extremely positive relationships with parents. They feel extremely well informed about the progress that their children are making. They believe that their children feel safe and secure within this nursery and that their children, including those with SEND, make very good progress from their starting points.