Kids Planet Waterside

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have highly effective systems in place to swiftly identify and assess children's specific needs. They ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive the specific support they need. Leaders are aware of the importance of regular attendance and work very hard to ensure that children access their early education. They use additional funding well to ensure that all children receive targeted support. This has a positive impact on children's learning and welfare.

Leaders work efficiently with a wide range of professionals and external agencies to shape and assist children's experiences and enable them to reach their full potential. Together, they formulate personalised plans that are specifically tailored to each child's ability and share these with parents to provide a consistent approach. Leaders closely monitor children's progress, alongside other professionals, to ensure that the support they are providing is effective. As a result, children's gaps in learning quickly close. Staff access relevant training that is appropriate to the needs of the children to help them achieve their best possible outcomes.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders consider the range of children that attend and design the curriculum with a focus on personal, social and emotional development to secure the foundations for future learning. Staff support children's communication and language and mathematical development particularly well. They narrate to babies as they play and immerse toddlers in an environment rich in language. Staff model mathematical language, such as 'full', 'empty', 'float' and 'sink', which they encourage children to copy. They support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities by using visual prompts and objects of reference to enhance their understanding. This helps all children to communicate in their preferred way.

Overall, the curriculum is typically taught well. Most staff have an effective understanding of the curriculum and, at times, some teaching is excellent. While there are no significant gaps in teaching, it is clear there are stronger and more confident members of staff who implement the curriculum more successfully than others. Some staff do not fully implement the intentions for the activities they are providing which hinders the new skills children are developing.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children are well prepared for starting school. They learn to be independent and confident in their self-care. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities flourish because the curriculum is carefully adapted to meet their needs. Older children learn to dress themselves for outdoor play as they put on their own wellington boots and zip up their coats. They are confident to express their own wants and needs and ask for help when they need it. Children demonstrate excellent listening and attention skills. Older children build close friendships with their peers. They are kind and understand behaviour expectations, such as patience towards others, sharing and taking turns. Babies are confident to explore the environment, they are developing well in their physical skills and are confident in using simple words. Older children enjoy back and forth conversations with their peers and demonstrate a love of books and reading stories.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

The setting is a happy and safe place. Children develop respectful and warm friendships with other children and with the staff who care for them. They are consistently kind and considerate towards each other and the environment. Staff swiftly recognise when children become overwhelmed, and they find ways to help children regulate their feelings and behaviour. Staff teach children to resolve conflict and consider the thoughts and feelings of others. Targeted adjustments for those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have a significant impact on their sense of belonging and positive self-esteem.

Staff are aware of the importance of establishing routines to help children to feel safe and to develop an understanding of what is happening next. Staff adapt the type and length of activities to consider each child's age and stage of development. This has a positive impact on children's behaviour and motivation and results in willing engagement.

Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's attendance. They regularly share information with families to ensure that parents understand the importance of consistent and regular attendance and the significant connection between establishing routines and children's positive future outcomes.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children develop warm relationships with kind and nurturing staff, who know them well. The effective key-person approach ensures that children form secure attachments with staff. Children are supported in developing independent self-care and hygiene habits, with low-level sinks available in rooms for handwashing. With support from staff, babies and toddlers are encouraged to eat their meals using cutlery with increasing independence. Older children are encouraged to pour their own drinks at mealtimes. Children benefit from healthy nutritious meals prepared on site. Allergies and intolerances are well catered for. Healthy lifestyles are promoted, such as the importance of oral health. Staff ensure safe sleep and safe eating practices are implemented.

Staff support children's personal development, particularly their independence, effectively. However, during routines, such as mealtimes and sleep times, leaders do not organise staff to fully focus on learning activities and interacting with children. As a result, some children become frustrated and distracted.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff have an understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Staff report that they feel supported and respected. Staff training needs are identified through regular supervision sessions, and staff feel confident in seeking support from leaders when needed. This open culture contributes to a strong, cohesive team. Staff are happy and state that they feel that their wellbeing is supported by leaders.

The leadership team adopts a reflective and hands-on approach, consistently striving to improve outcomes for all children. However, leaders' current approach to self-evaluation and improvement does not always clearly identify priorities. It does not always target improvements with a clear and ambitious vision for providing the highest quality of education for children.

Leaders have established an inclusive culture where all children, including those who are disadvantaged and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are identified swiftly and supported effectively. Leaders work in partnership with parents and professionals to secure support and interventions for children as needed.