Kids Planet Nook Barn

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Communication and language are a focal point throughout this nursery. Babies babble and bop along to songs during play. Older children describe the ice cream they are making with staff using a range of words, such as 'spicy' and 'freezing'. Staff model clear language to children, which helps them build their repertoire of vocabulary. Children are confident communicators. Staff encourage children to develop their physical and investigation skills from a young age. Babies enjoy painting using their hands and brushes to explore their senses and practise body control. Older children learn to manipulate dough around pine cones and use small tools to chop and create patterns. In turn, this helps to support children's early writing skills.

Staff help children to understand simple rules and boundaries. They encourage children to follow a 'hands up' approach when they wish to choose an activity or answer a question. If children have disputes during their play, staff gently guide them to find a solution and regulate their emotions if they are struggling. This helps to keep the environment a happy and safe space for children to thrive. Children love splashing in puddles in the outdoor area. They learn how to use equipment safely. For example, children stand away from each other as they play with golf clubs, so as not to hurt each other. Children enjoy a wide range of home-cooked meals and snacks. They love to choose a piece of fruit to take home when they leave the nursery. This helps to continue children's healthy eating out of the setting.

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

• Leaders understand the importance of supporting children and their families. They offer information to help parents and carers access support and advice on topics such as toothbrushing, online safety and child development. However, parents do not consistently receive clear messages about their child's current stages in development and next steps in learning. This limits the opportunities for parents to continue this support at home, if they wish.
• In the main, children are happy, content and engaged in play. However, on occasion, staff do not recognise when to respond to children's emerging needs. This occasionally limits children from remaining focused or getting the most out of the curriculum on offer and the learning that they enjoy.
• Leaders have clear aspirations for the nursery and its growth. They carefully consider the needs of the children that attend. Leaders have adapted and embedded new schemes to help children's progress continue from the start, and they have broadened their curriculum further into the natural world. This helps children to explore and develop their imagination skills.
• Staff are well supported to develop their skills and maintain their well-being in the nursery. Staff feel valued and know they can seek support if they wish. They are happy and settled within their roles and are motivated to learn in order to improve outcomes further for children.
• Children practise their mathematics skills during their play. They work out how to build tricky train tracks where they negotiate objects. Furthermore, children build magnetic structures where they identify shapes and count. They compare the size of their constructions.
• Staff monitor children closely from the start. They swiftly address any gaps in children's learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from targeted learning plans that help them continue to make progress. When necessary, staff bring external support agencies into the nursery to increase intervention. This ensures that children keep up with their development and remain integrated in the nursery's family.
• Staff embed equality and diversity into the curriculum throughout spontaneous play, planned learning and outings into the local community. Children draw portraits of themselves and others. They begin to compare their similarities and differences. This helps children to learn about other people and respect their peers.
• Children receive good support to transition through the nursery and then on to school. Their learning is sequenced from the start. Staff know how to progressively extend children's activities and resources. Children become confident to take part in focused tasks. This helps children to build their concentration and confidence towards learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more consistent messages to all parents, to help them to understand their child's development and next steps in learning to support continuity of learning at home
• continue to coach staff to increase their knowledge and skills so they can independently respond to all children's emerging needs and interests during their play.