Kids Planet Radford

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children enjoy learning. They engage well in the activities that the knowledgeable staff provide for them. Outdoors, children squeal with delight as they search in the garden for hidden characters from the 'Gruffalo' story. They find the 'snake' hidden in the log-pile house. Children chase their friends with the characters they find and excitedly run around the outdoor space. They pretend to be the owl and walk around, flapping their arms and saying 'twit twoo'. Children's behaviour is good. They are welcoming to visitors and are keen to share what they have been learning about. Children feel safe and secure. They build strong relationships with staff, who they seek out for comfort should they need it. Children respond well to praise they receive for helping. They learn how to work together as a team and help each other to sweep up the sand on the floor.

Staff are kind and nurturing to young babies. Children's individual routines are followed in line with their needs. For example, babies sleep when they need to. Children benefit from a range of textures added to their play. Staff provide a tray of jelly and encourage babies to feel and squish it through their fingers. All staff read stories and sing songs to children throughout the day. Children bring their favourite books to staff and visitors for them to read. Staff use nursery rhymes with children to encourage their interest in music and words. They encourage children to follow the actions of the songs.

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

• Managers have a clear curriculum in place to build on what children know and can do. Staff know the children well. They use this information to create activities that will extend their learning. Children's interests are used to plan and provide activities that will engage them. This helps children make good progress. Children gain the skills needed for their next stage of learning and eventual move to school.
• Managers place a high importance on the training and developing of the staff team. They measure the impact of training by observing staff practice. Managers provide training on a range of topics that positively impact children. This ensures that the quality of teaching is consistently good.
• Staff ensure they speak clearly and listen to children and their voice and opinions. However, children are not always allowed to make choices about where they would like to learn. For example, children who want to play outside do not always get the chance to go out when they want to, or they have to come in when they are not ready to.
• Occasionally, children's independence is not supported as well as it could be. Children can wait for long periods of time when transitioning between changes in the nursery routines. This means children become distracted and lose interest in learning.
• Good arrangements are in place to support children who speak English as an additional language. Staff ask parents for keywords. They use these as visual prompts to support communication and language.
• Staff place a high level of importance on encouraging children to understand their emotions. They use 'The Colour Monster' story to discuss the colours of how they feel. Staff use this to manage behaviour and remind children of the rules and boundaries.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive tailored plans that meet their individual needs. Parents provide useful information from specialists involved in their child's care to support staff and the curriculum planning. Children with complex medical needs receive exceptional care, with staff working closely with families to ensure their safety at all times. Managers and staff engage with a range of professionals to support children to achieve their highest potential.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery. They feel supported and able to ask for advice and guidance should they need it. Staff share regular updates on their children's well-being and development.
• Staff follow good hygiene practices and teach the children the importance of washing their hands. Children benefit from healthy snacks and freshly prepared hot meals.
• Children are provided with opportunities to practise their small-muscle skills. Outdoors, they thread round cereal onto wooden skewers, and indoors, they make their own play dough. Children choose which colour to dye their mixture and which scent to use to make it smell. They enjoy mixing and squeezing the dough in their hands.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more opportunities for children to make independent choices about where they would like to learn, including having access to the outdoor environment
• review the organisation of routine transition times for all children so they remain fully engaged in their learning.