Kids Planet Solihull

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff are kind and caring. They build strong relationships with the children. Staff welcome children with warmth and enthusiasm as they arrive at the nursery. Children enter confidently, sharing hugs and their news with the staff. Staff show a genuine interest in what children have to say. They give children lots of praise and encouragement. Consequently, children demonstrate high levels of self-esteem. Children show they feel happy and safe as they move confidently around the nursery. Children say they enjoy attending. They comment, 'I like playing with my friends.' Staff teach children about healthy lifestyles. Children are served nutritious, healthy meals and snacks. Staff help children to learn about the importance of good oral health, the benefits of keeping hydrated and the positive impact exercise has on their bodies.

Staff implement a well-sequenced and ambitious educational curriculum which covers all areas of learning. Overall, they plan activities that link to children's interests and learning needs. Children are motivated learners who engage for long periods of time in the carefully planned activities. Children demonstrate a positive attitude towards learning. All children, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make good progress from their individual starting points.

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

• The manager has devised a curriculum that helps children to acquire the skills and attitudes they need in readiness for their next stage of learning, including their eventual move on to school. Children in receipt of additional funding are monitored closely. The manager involves staff, parents and other professionals to decide the most appropriate and beneficial way to use the funding.
• Staff know children well and what they need to learn next. They carry out regular observations and assessments of children's learning. When staff identify any gaps in children's learning, they offer one-to-one support and small-group sessions to help them to catch up with their peers. However, planning of activities for older children in the baby room is not always linked precisely to their learning needs, and so, on occasions, staff miss opportunities to extend older children's learning. Because of this, at times, these children become bored and disengaged.
• Support for children with SEND is effective. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures that timely referrals are made and works closely with expert professionals to ensure that these children receive targeted intervention to enable them to make the progress they are capable of.
• Babies are happy and content. They demonstrate that they feel safe and secure. They confidently seek comfort from the caring staff when they are tired, upset or just want a cuddle.
• Staff are positive role models. They are polite and respectful to the children and each other. Overall, they help children to understand and follow age-appropriate rules and boundaries. However, occasionally, staff do not consistently support children to understand the expectations for their behaviour and the impact their behaviour has on others.
• Children are provided with lots of opportunities to enhance their physical development. For example, outdoors, they run around and climb adventure play equipment. Children demonstrate good balance and control as they negotiate an obstacle course.
• Staff provide children throughout the nursery with opportunities to develop their mathematical understanding. Children learn to count, recognise numbers and shapes and solve simple problems.
• Teaching of language and communication is a priority and strength of the nursery. Throughout the nursery, staff read stories, sing songs and engage children in lots of interesting conversations. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as 'symmetrical', explaining the meaning to children in simple terms.
• Well-established routines throughout the nursery support children's independence. Staff help babies to learn to feed themselves and wipe their faces after their meal. Older children serve themselves at lunchtime. They learn to manage their own self-care.
• Staff are deployed effectively to meet the needs of the children. Ratios are maintained at all times.
• Parents are very complimentary about the staff and comment on the good progress their children make during their time in the nursery. Parents say they receive regular feedback from the staff about their children's learning. Parents appreciate the ideas and suggestions they receive about how they can support their children's learning outside of the nursery.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to consistently provide activities that match more precisely to the learning needs of older children in the baby room
• support staff to consistently help children to understand the expectations for their behaviour and the impact of their behaviour on others.