Kids Planet Higher Broughton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive excited to explore the environment and meet their friends. Familiar staff welcome children into the nursery. Staff have a genuine interest in what children have to say. Children are eager to share their thoughts with staff and their friends. Staff carefully set up intriguing and interesting activities. They ensure that these link to children's current interests. This means that children engage in their learning very well. Children learn about how to keep their teeth healthy. They share discuss their experiences of when they visited the dentist. This leads to conversations about what might happen at the dentist, which helps to manage children's expectations in real life.

Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. This leads to children learning the same expectations. They remind their friends to have 'listening ears' while others are speaking. Children clearly feel safe and happy as they seek out staff to help them. Staff comfort children, who settle easily if they become upset.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the nursery continued to operate and kept contact with families. The nursery put support in place for any children with early identified additional needs, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This has helped children to make very good progress and to be ready for the next stage in their learning. This includes their transition to school.

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

• Staff have a sharp focus on communication and language. They have engaging and informative conversations with children. Staff ask children questions to build on what they already know. They describe and discuss the natural items they have collected in the garden. This helps children to develop their vocabulary and speaking skills.
• Staff create activities to ignite children's curiosity. Older children find and mix ingredients to create 'potions'. Children persist and concentrate while making the perfect 'Gruffalo crumble'. Younger children show delight while exploring floor painting activities with their whole bodies. This helps children to learn in ways that motivate them to make progress.
• Children have many opportunities to appreciate the diverse nature of communities. This is because staff enthusiastically introduce different cultures to children. Staff work hard to ensure that they create an inclusive provision. They celebrate many festivals and events throughout the nursery. This helps children to learn tolerance and respect for others as they learn differences and similarities in each other.
• Staff are good role models for children. Staff help children to self-regulate and manage their emotions and feelings. They do this by teaching children to be mindful and considerate. They encourage turn taking in activities. As a result, children's behaviour is positive towards each other.
• Staff are very attentive to children's needs. Staff are mindful of undertaking personal care and ask children if they are ready for their nappy change. Young non-walking babies are able to make their own way inside for lunch. Older children access the bathroom independently and staff support those children who need help. This helps children to begin to develop a sense of independence at a very young age.
• Snack and mealtime routines vary across age ranges. At times, managers and leaders do not ensure that staff organise these times to be consistent with usual routines. For example, children do not always know where to sit to eat their fruit at snack time. This does not help children to know what they should do next and understand expectations.
• The manager implements relevant training plans for staff. This helps to enhance their practice and positively impact on outcomes for children. Staff report very good levels of well-being. They say that leaders and managers support them very well. They say that their workload is very manageable and they enjoy their time at the nursery.
• Parents are extremely happy with the care and education their children receive. They have very positive relationships with staff, and their children enjoy attending the nursery. Parents report that their children feel comfortable and safe and they are fully informed of their child's progress. This includes information about any additional support in place for their child.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• reflect on the ways that staff understand and implement routines throughout the nursery, particularly at snack times.