Kids Planet West Bridgford

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children confidently enter this inviting nursery, where they are warmly greeted by the staff. Children discover a range of interesting activities that staff have carefully planned. For example, they delight in jumping in puddles, experimenting with water, and smelling different herbs while learning about the natural world. Staff promote communication and language as they introduce vocabulary alongside new concepts. For example, when children use water, equipment and herbs to make potions, staff introduce the words fragrance and sinking and floating.

Children are polite and treat one another with respect. They learn to wait for their friends to be ready, before starting to eat their lunch. Staff help children to express when they are uncomfortable, this helps to keep them safe. Staff promote a healthy lifestyle. They encourage children to be physically active and to eat a healthy balanced diet.

Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. When they attempt to use a pencil to make marks and find it tricky, their friends encourage them to keep on trying. They persevere until they manage it. Staff praise children for helping their friends. Staff promote a love of books. Younger children concentrate and look at the pictures while turning the pages carefully. Older children enjoy acting out their favourite stories. All children, including those who speak English as additional language, make good progress.

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

• The manager and staff have worked hard to address the breaches identified at the last inspection. The manager has undergone higher level safeguarding training. She keeps up to date with new information from the local safeguarding partnership. Staff's safeguarding knowledge and understanding have improved through regular training events and their knowledge is monitored frequently. This has helped to ensure that all children are as safe as possible and staff understand the procedures they must follow.
• Staff support children to gain the knowledge and skills that they need so that they benefit from what school has to offer. They are learning to do things for themselves. For example, children use utensils to serve their own dinner. They wash their hands and put on their own aprons. Children can talk about how they are feeling and ask for help.
• Staff provide support for children who speak English as an additional language. They learn key words and rhymes in the child's home language. They record parents speaking in their home language for children to listen to in the nursery. Staff use sign language, pictures and objects to reinforce children's understanding and vocabulary development.
• Parents report that they are happy with the progress that their child is making and that staff guide them to support their child's learning at home. Parents regularly use online communication systems to share information with staff. The leaders also find out about parents' views through a questionnaire. Parents asked for induction sessions for when their child transitioned to a new room. As a result of this, the staff now offer stay-and-play sessions. These sessions are for all families to meet new staff and to become familiar with the new environment. Additionally, staff offer regular workshops to support parents.
• The nursery curriculum complements each child's home life and provides a breadth of experiences. For example, the nursery has an allotment where children help to grow vegetables and herbs. Children use these to cook and bake. They also take part in yoga sessions and experience meeting emotional support animals that visit the nursery, which they enjoy.
• Staff promote personal, social and emotional development. They read stories about emotions and help children to identify and talk about their own feelings. Staff provide cosy areas with calming aids, such as lavender bags, to help children rest and relax. This supports positive behaviour management.
• Overall staff provide sensitive interactions. For example, they follow children's interests, join in children's play, introduce new words and sing rhymes. However, at times they do not notice when children are losing concentration and become disengaged. Therefore, learning is not always fully supported.
• Staff make accurate assessments. They use this information to implement plans, so that learning is relevant and all children make progress.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• strengthen interactions to support children to sustain high levels of concentration.