Kids Planet Linacre Road

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

There is a lively and friendly atmosphere at this nursery, which parents describe as 'homely'. Children in the pre-school room select the card showing their name and slip it into a post box to show that they have arrived. Babies are warmly welcomed into the arms of the nurturing staff and settle quickly into their activities for the day. Children are confident to leave their parents and go to catch up with their friends in the well-organised indoor and outdoor spaces. This shows that children feel safe and secure.

Children behave very well at the nursery. At lunchtime, children stop what they are doing and form a line, joining in with a lunchtime song. Children are well mannered and helpful towards others. For example, during a painting activity, children politely ask others to pass the yellow paint, saying please and thank you without being reminded. This demonstrates the well-embedded routines that are understood by all children.

There is a strong focus on children's communication and language development at the nursery. Staff have taken part in additional training and coaching to support them to enhance their expertise in this area. Staff speak clearly to children, ask interesting questions and give children plenty of time to think and respond. This supports all children to make good progress with their communication and language.

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

• Staff and leaders have developed a curriculum that is ambitious for all children. Staff meet as a team to discuss the overarching focus of each room. They then use regular assessments to pinpoint the children's current level of development and learning. Staff plan interesting activities, based on the children's interests and starting points, to support children to make their next steps. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are both identified quickly and well supported to access the same ambitious curriculum. This ensures that all children make good progress.
• Overall, children are supported to develop a love of reading and books. Children enjoy looking at books with staff and listening to staff reading stories. In the baby room, babies listen intently to the story 'Dear Zoo'. They enjoy exploring the book afterwards, carefully turning the pages and lifting the flaps as they have seen staff do. Children are entranced as they listen to a story about the range of emotions when starting school. However, staff do not always plan the curriculum to support children to begin to look at and read books independently. This limits children's opportunities to become independent readers.
• Staff take every opportunity to bring counting and other mathematical language into the play and routines. When playing outside in the water, children discuss whether pots are 'full' or 'empty'. They discuss the various sizes of containers and rank them in order. Children concentrate hard as they arrange pebbles in the shape of a number in the outdoor classroom. These activities help to develop children's early mathematics skills well.
• Staff teach children to wash their hands before mealtimes and after they have been to the toilet. However, at other times, hygiene practices and routines are not consistently well followed. For example, children do not routinely wipe their own noses and seem unaware that they need to do so. At these times, children's self-care and independence skills are not positively supported.
• Children go on a range of trips and visits in the local community and beyond. They travel by train to the beach and take part in litter picking in a nearby park. Children grow vegetables in containers in the garden and the nursery has recently acquired a local allotment to further develop their vegetable growing. These activities develop children's understanding of themselves as part of a community and as active citizens.
• The nursery works in positive partnership with parents. Parents appreciate the useful advice the setting offers, for example, around tooth brushing, and the free toothbrushes and toothpaste available in the entrance area. Parents report that they are well informed about their child's progress and next steps. This enables them to continue children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• extend opportunities for children to choose and enjoy books independently
• support staff to help children to learn more about good hygiene practice and self-care skills.