Kids Planet Penketh

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager works hard to provide a safe, calm and stimulating environment where all children thrive. She and her team share a strong ethos of working in partnership with parents. Children benefit from the consistent approach developed between the setting and home. Staff share ideas to support children's learning with parents, and together they delight in children's achievements. This helps children to feel good about themselves. Children demonstrate good levels of confidence. The manager plans the curriculum to support children in developing their knowledge of the community. Children enjoy trips out to the local library, taking part in story sessions and they visit the nearby care home. The manager knows that these outings help children to learn about different generations. It builds their sense of belonging in the community. In addition, children learn social skills, such as how to behave in public places.

The key-person system is well embedded. Children have close and secure bonds with staff. For example, babies giggle as they take wobbly steps towards familiar adults. Older children have beaming smiles as they arrive. They happily wave goodbye to parents. Staff know the children well and they offer a curriculum that children are eager to engage with. As a result, children are happy and settled.

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

• The manager offers regular supervision and coaching to support staff to develop their practice. Staff explain how they use learning to benefit the children. For example, staff in pre-school have implemented learning to support children in making up and retelling their own stories. This builds children's imagination and develops early literacy skills.
• Staff use assessment well to help them identify children's next steps in learning. For example, staff note that children are not using mathematical language. They offer children learning opportunities where they can compare size, match items and fill and empty containers. As a result, children develop their mathematical language, and their understanding of early mathematical concepts.
• Staff plan the day to include both child-led and adult-led activities. They use visual aids and discussion to help children anticipate what will happen next in their day. This helps children to feel confident. However, on occasion the routine is less well planned. For example, staff hand out drinks to babies during a singing activity. As a result, children are distracted. They are less involved in singing and copying actions to songs.
• Staff have a good understanding of how to support children's physical development. They know that babies will develop large muscles before they can control their smaller movements. They offer activities for babies to reach, stretch and pull themselves to standing. Children are supported to throw and catch. Pre- school children develop their smaller muscles as they use pipettes and tweezers. Children make good progress with their physical skills.
• Staff help children to think and problem solve. For example, staff help children to consider the different ways they might move down a ramp. They help children to wonder, test and experiment. Children have a tremendous time as they dip tea bags into water. They explore what happens as they add different colours and items. Children develop their skills of investigation.
• Partnership working is good. Staff work closely with teaching staff in schools. This helps them to prepare children for the move on to school. In addition, the manager's close links with a nearby school has resulted in the children being able to access the school field. This helps staff to support children's knowledge of nature and helps children who learn best outdoors.
• The curriculum is used to help children consider risks. For example, pre-school children complete a daily risk assessment of the outdoor area. Children use litter pickers to remove litter and they consider any items which might hurt them or others. Children begin to consider ways to keep themselves safe. They develop a responsible attitude to safety.
• Staff model good behaviour. However, staff management of behaviour is not always consistent across the setting. For example, staff in pre-school do not have the same high expectations for the behaviour of all children. They are not always consistent in responding to children. As a result, children do not always listen or respond to staff requests, they avoid tidy up time and they take apart models that other children have made. Children do not always show a positive attitude to learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that each part of the day is well planned, to reduce distractions and to support children to remain engaged in their learning
• support staff to maintain high expectations for all children's behaviour, so that children learn to listen and respond positively to adults, demonstrating a consistently good attitude to learning.