Kids Planet Northenden

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in this truly nurturing nursery, which continually strives to recognise, develop and support every child's individuality. Children challenge themselves during outdoor play, taking managed risks as they skilfully climb ladders, negotiate balance beams and race on scooters and tricycles. Other children laugh as they slip and slide to keep their footing, delighting in jumping in puddles and mud. Children identify the ingredients in their lunch and talk about the different tastes in the homemade soup, demonstrating their exemplary vocabulary.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nursery is providing children with even greater support in relation to their communication and language and social and emotional development. Babies are confident in the presence of new people. They babble along as staff sing traditional nursery rhymes. They show their dexterity as they independently stack hoops onto toys. Toddlers are keen to show what they can do for themselves. In getting ready for outdoor play, they gather their puddle suits and wellington boots. Children persevere and keep trying hard in taking their own shoes off and getting changed. Their eyes light up with pride when they manage such tasks for themselves, and they receive lots of praise and encouragement from staff for their efforts.

Pre-school children have impressive language skills. They talk with passion about what they know, whether it be facts about helicopters, where their parents are, or the bones in a skeleton. What stands out is children's natural care and consideration for their friends. Children help to serve their friends extra portions of food at lunchtime without prompting. Others display their maturity by politely asking for a turn on the swings. Children care greatly about their friends and have effective strategies to manage their own emotions. As a result, disharmony is rare, requiring little intervention by staff.

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

• Leaders understand the precise needs of the children in their care and have designed a curriculum that is tailored to those needs. While the overall focus for all ages of children is rooted in support of communication and language and emotional development, this is adapted for each age range of the children. The curriculum is broad and aspirational. A long-term focus on strengthening outcomes for children in mathematics is well embedded. The impact of this is seen in the secure knowledge of older children in relation to not only number, but space, shape and measure. Excellent oversight means no stone is left unturned, which ensures that children receive high-quality education.
• Children are highly respectful of each other and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Older children use their excellent verbal skills to find resolutions to disagreements. Older children evidence retention of prior learning when being able to explain why certain items float and sink, creating their own experiments with friends. Toddlers concentrate hard and listen well as they work with staff to try and draw a portrait of their favourite doll. Babies explore their environment and show no hesitation in experimenting with new tastes and textures.
• Staff use what they know about the diverse heritage of the children who attend the nursery to help children celebrate their own backgrounds and learn about each other. Children learn to speak words from different languages and nationalities, which helps to give their friends a stronger sense of belonging. The nursery also works closely with parents to help deliver meaningful learning about different backgrounds. This serves to provide all children with a rich set of experiences beyond their own.
• Leaders ensure that a keen focus is given to delivering the highest level of support for children's health and well-being. The nursery provides children with an ever-changing menu of healthy and nutritious meals. All dietary needs are exceptionally well considered. Staff teach children about healthy eating. Children are supported the earliest age to practise good oral health, part of which is tooth brushing. Physical activity is integral to life at nursery.
• Parents and carers cannot praise the nursery highly enough. They talk about 'being part of the Kids Start family'. Parents talk about the exceptional quality of communication linked to children's progress, and they comment on the ideas given to help extend learning at home. The repeated view is that the nursery is truly caring and nurturing. Parents consistently comment about the excellent progress children make from their starting points, including in their communication and language and social skills. This endorses the excellent delivery of the well-targeted and tailored curriculum, and it further demonstrates the impact of the outstanding quality of education.
• Members of the staff team are a close knit and aspirational group. They explain how the leadership team helps to inspire them to continually improve. They receive a high level of support for their own mental health and well-being. This contributes to strengthening the quality of their practice with the children. Staff receive a wealth of coaching, mentoring and constructive feedback from observations, which also contribute to continual improvement in their practice. Professional development is ever present, with staff receiving targeted, in-depth training throughout the year. Leaders ensure that new starters receive a tremendous amount of support as part of their induction and probationary periods.