Kids Planet Sevenoaks

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders offer an incredibly inclusive and nurturing approach, ensuring all children and their families feel highly valued and respected. As a result, all children develop a deep sense of belonging. Leaders and staff are extremely passionate about making a difference in children's lives. They carefully consider any additional funding children receive, to specifically help individual children with their development. Furthermore, they organise fund-raising events to help support children's individual needs. Leaders have a secure understanding of all children's needs and work effectively with parents and carers and other professionals to ensure children are fully supported.

Leaders and staff are highly skilled, and identify and assess children, who require additional support promptly. They implement personalised plans to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face other barriers to learning, receive the support they need. This helps all children to achieve well from their starting points, and to be effectively prepared for the next stage in their development.

Leaders and staff work closely with parents and other professionals to provide continuity in children's care and development. When staff identify gaps in children's learning, they successfully implement strategies, such as the use of simple sign language and visual prompts. This helps support children's communication and understanding effectively.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff implement a broad, balanced and well-sequenced curriculum that supports children's learning and development across all areas. Staff use what they know about children's interests and starting points to plan learning experiences that build on what children already know and can do. As a result, all children make secure progress from their starting points.

Communication and language development are woven through the curriculum. Staff generally use positive interactions and model language well to extend children's vocabulary and understanding. However, they do not consistently build on children's thinking or give children enough time to respond to questions. This limits opportunities for children to develop deeper understanding.

Staff recognise children's strengths and identify where further support is needed. They provide a well-planned environment that promotes learning across all areas. Children develop their physical skills, as they crawl, climb, balance and explore a range of resources, indoors and outdoors. Staff implement personalised plans effectively to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning. This enables them to participate fully alongside their peers and reach their full potential.

Mathematics is embedded well throughout the curriculum. Older children confidently count, compare quantities and recognise shapes in their play, while younger children begin to develop mathematical understanding through number songs and rhymes.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to learning typically make effective progress from their starting points. They are competent and well prepared for the next stage in their learning, including their move to school. Children develop confidence and sustain their concentration as they make independent choices in their play and persevere with activities. Older children develop imaginative role play and share their ideas. For example, they create birthday cakes in the mud kitchen and discuss different ages as they sing 'happy birthday' together.

Children develop a genuine love of books and stories in every room. Younger children enjoy listening to familiar stories and point to pictures in favourite books. Older children choose books independently, discuss familiar stories and recall events in detail. For example, they name different dinosaurs and describe their features, such as those of a Tyrannosaurus rex. This helps build children's vocabulary and strengthens their early literacy skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a positive and welcoming environment, where children understand what is expected of them. Staff provide children with consistent routines, helping them to understand what to expect throughout the day. However, staff do not organise daily routines, particularly mealtimes, consistently well. At times, children experience unnecessary time waiting and are not consistently engaged in purposeful interactions. This reduces opportunities to sustain their learning.

Nevertheless, staff have high expectations for all children. They ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those facing barriers to learning, receive the support they need to achieve well. Staff build warm relationships with children and model kindness and respect, helping children to learn how to treat others with consideration. They encourage children to play cooperatively, share resources and respect each other's ideas and opinions. As a result, children develop the skills they need to resolve minor disagreements independently. Overall, children behave well. They show increasing confidence to make choices in their play, form positive relationships and manage their emotions effectively. Children confidently seek support, comfort and reassurance from their key person, when needed, showing they feel safe and secure.

Leaders and staff monitor children's attendance carefully. They work in close partnership with parents and carers to ensure children's regular attendance. This helps to support children's early education.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff place children's welfare and wellbeing at the heart of their practice. They know children and their families extremely well and provide high levels of support and guidance where needed. The highly effective settling-in procedures and ongoing discussions with parents and carers, enable staff to have detailed information to support children's care needs successfully. As a result, children settle quickly and feel safe and secure. Children form very close bonds and trusting relationships with their key person. Staff respond sensitively to their emotional wellbeing and individual needs. As a result, children develop confidence and a deep sense of belonging.

Staff provide highly effective support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers to their learning. They work closely with families and other professionals to acquire additional support, training and have organised fundraising events to support children's needs. Consequently, children make sustained progress within their capabilities.

Staff make excellent use of the outdoor environment to promote children's physical wellbeing. Children enjoy a wide range of opportunities to explore nature, while developing their coordination, balance and confidence. Staff carefully manage risks and help children to learn how to keep themselves safe, including understanding the importance of staying hydrated during hot weather. As a result, children become increasingly independent and develop a secure awareness of how to manage risk safely. Healthy lifestyles are promoted extremely well. Children enjoy nutritious meals and snacks and learn about the importance of healthy choices, including around their oral health, through everyday activities and discussions. Consequently, children develop positive habits that support their health and wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are dedicated to, and passionate about, their roles and demonstrate a commitment to providing positive experiences for children and families. They know the nursery extremely well, recognise its strengths and typically carefully prioritise, where there are areas for further development. For example, leaders have developed the outdoor learning environment to offer children a variety of opportunities for physical play across all age groups.

Leaders place children's needs at the centre of everything they do, particularly for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those facing barriers to their learning. For example, they access additional funding and provide targeted support to ensure all children have opportunities to reach their full potential. Effective partnerships with parents and carers and other professionals ensure children receive personalised support, enabling them to make secure progress.

Leaders prioritise staff's wellbeing and workload. Staff are incredibly happy in their roles and speak highly of the support they receive. They benefit from regular and effective supervisions that encourage self-reflection and opportunities for professional development. As a result, staff feel valued and motivated in their work. Parents speak very positively about the support they receive and place high value on the open communication with staff.