Kids Planet Thrapston

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are warmly welcomed by staff when they arrive. They respond positively to staff, who are attentive and caring. Children build strong bonds with their key person. This contributes to children feeling safe and developing a sense of well-being and belonging at nursery.

Overall, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), become deeply involved in their play. Staff plan activities that support children's physical development. Younger children develop their balancing skills as they use outdoor apparatus. They enjoy crossing the uneven surface more than once, increasing their skills and confidence each time. Pre-school children develop their small-muscle strength in preparation for their future learning. They use their hands to roll and manipulate play dough into different shapes and sizes.

Children are happy at nursery, They play and learn in a calm and harmonious environment. Staff help children to learn how to recognise and manage their emotions. They talk to children about how they feel and invite them to follow a sensory circuit. Children learn about how each part of the circuit affects their body as they push, blow, jump and stretch.

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

• Since the last inspection, leaders have taken swift action to make significant improvements. They work effectively with the staff team and have developed a reflective approach. Leaders and staff celebrate strong practice as well as identifying areas for their professional development. A renewed commitment to support, coaching and training for staff has a positive impact on staff's well-being and confidence in their role.
• Leaders and staff demonstrate their understanding of the curriculum. Regular curriculum reviews take place in each group room. Staff respond to children's changing interests and learning needs, particularly in relation to communication and language, attachment to their key person and building on their independence and resilience. Staff know the children well and they plan activities and experiences to help children build on their learning and practise their skills. However, on occasion, some activities are less well planned than others to support staff to build on children's learning further.
• Overall, staff are effective in their teaching. They interact positively with children and join in with their play. However, sometimes, staff's explanations are not sufficiently clear to help children understand what is expected of them to further support their learning during activities and daily routines.
• Staff support children's communication and language skills. They introduce new words to younger children to build on their vocabulary. For example, staff press autumn leaves in their hands and describe the sound as crunchy. Pre-school children engage in meaningful back-and-forth conversations with staff and visitors. Staff regularly read to children and encourage discussion about the story.
• Leaders and staff swiftly identify children who need additional support, including those with SEND. They work closely with parents, carers and other agencies who are involved. They put targeted plans in place to provide these children with appropriate, consistent support for their care and learning.
• Staff promote children's independence effectively. They help children to build on their self-care skills from a young age. Staff encourage children to serve themselves at mealtimes and to try new tastes. Children make choices about whether they want milk or water to drink and how much they want to eat.
• Children make friendships at nursery and play well together. Younger children readily take turns to throw and catch a ball. Staff are positive role models and encourage children to be kind to one another. They offer lots of praise, encouragement and celebrate children's achievements. This contributes to children's self-esteem and positive behaviour.
• Leaders and staff have developed strong working partnerships with parents. Effective and frequent communication contributes to a consistent approach for children's care and learning. Parents are confident to approach leaders and their child's key person about any specific support their child requires. Staff work collaboratively with parents to identify and support children's next steps in learning. Staff have introduced 'Borrow bags' to give parents ideas for how they can support children's learning at home.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen the planning of activities to help staff build on children's learning further
• help staff develop their skills to enhance how they present information to children, so they support learning throughout the day.