Kids Planet West Derby

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff work closely with families to understand their children's needs from the start and put support in place quickly. Robust assessment and observations and close partnerships with parents and carers and other professionals ensure that early help is identified. Staff put simple, but effective, strategies in place to support children in their development. For example, staff make use of spaces such as corridors, the sensory room and outside, where children can use their spinning equipment to have quiet time to develop their concentration skills.

Leaders provide regular training and guidance on supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are passionate about ensuring that all children have full access to the curriculum offer. They undertake professional reading and research. Peer-on-peer training takes place so that all staff understand children's individual complex needs. Staff work effectively with specialist professionals, such as occupational health therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language teams. This helps to ensure that consistent strategies are in place to help children make progress in their learning and development.

Leaders use additional funding extremely effectively to widen children's experiences and participation to help improve their outcomes. For instance, they purchase specialist equipment to enable children to sit at the table with their friends during playtime and lunchtime. This helps them to engage and learn alongside their peers and develop lifelong skills for their future learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff plan and deliver an ambitious and exciting curriculum for all children. Accurate and timely assessments ensure that children make progress from their starting points ready for their next steps in learning. The environment is thoughtfully designed to provide a wide range of learning opportunities based on children's interests and motivations. For example, many families work at the nearby children's hospital. Staff plan visits to the hospital, where children explore the children's dental unit and take their teddies to the x-ray department. Additionally, children have access to medical-themed resources in the role-play area. This helps children to learn about their bodies and a range of health professional roles.

Generally, staff's interactions with children are positive and engaging. They help children to count and introduce some mathematical language, such as shape, size and colour. However, during some larger group sessions, staff do not consistently differentiate teaching for younger children. For example, during the welcome song for younger children, staff introduce vocabulary that they do not always understand. This means that some children disengage with the activity.

Staff modify their approaches to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and for children who have barriers to their learning. For example, staff respond to children's body language and physical cues when they indicate that they want to go outside. Additionally, those children who speak English as an additional language hear words and phrases in their home languages. They receive support from staff, who build back-and-forth conversations to help them develop their speaking skills in English.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make steady progress from their starting points. They develop confidence, independence and positive attitudes to learning. Those children who have transferred from their previous setting have adapted incredibly well to their new learning environment. Children show increasing independence as they manage routines and make choices about their play. For example, they help to tidy away their toys and clear their plates after lunch. Children develop communication and social skills as they play alongside others. They show resilience as they practise their balancing skills when outside in the garden. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to their learning also make progress, as support is well matched to their individual needs. This builds securely on what they already know and can do. However, because some interactions are not yet consistently effective across all parts of the day, children do not consistently extend their learning at times.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children behave well and enjoy their time in the nursery. Staff consistently reinforce positive behaviours. They praise children for sharing, listening and helping one another. Staff invite children to come and play with their friends. Children play happily alongside one another, sharing ideas and resources. However, on some occasions, members of the newly developing staff team do not deploy themselves effectively during play activities. This means that some children do not receive full support in their play to enhance their achievements. Leaders are aware of this and have plans to bring about improvements to support those less-experienced staff members.

Relationships between staff and children are warm and respectful. Children show that they feel safe and sure at this setting. The learning environment is busy yet calm. Children know the routines well and what is expected of them. For example, after lunch, older children know that it is time for some quiet reading as they independently select their storybooks. Younger children know that this is nap time as they are assisted to find their beds. Such routines help children to manage their day and understand what is happening next. Leaders monitor children's attendance closely and follow up absences promptly with families. This helps to support children's positive attitudes to the nursery.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff greet children and their parents and carers warmly when they arrive at the setting. They have designed flexible and robust settling-in procedures tailored to children's individual needs. This ensures that staff know children well and they generally settle quickly into the nursery. Staff support children to recognise and name their feelings and emotions, such as 'sad', 'tired' and 'happy'. This helps children to have a sense of emotional wellbeing.

Leaders ensure that children have opportunities to develop a healthy lifestyle. They provide nutritious home-cooked food and snacks. Staff sit with children at lunchtime and talk to them about the healthy foods on their plates. Children comment on how their food makes them big and strong. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to their learning receive support to try different foods. They have individualised alternative meal options that are healthy and nutritious.

Positive relationships are in place with the neighbouring children's hospital, where children visit to learn about how to care for their teeth. This is followed up with a range of adult-led activities and resources for children to deepen their understanding. Staff ensure that children have many opportunities to develop their physical skills, both indoors and outdoors. For example, younger children dig in the sand and use tools in the mud kitchen. Older children are learning to use scissors and throw large balls. Staff use these activities to help children to understand how to make healthy choices for their future.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the needs of their local community. They use this information to help shape the design of their curriculum and the operational needs of the setting. Equally, leaders have a clear plan to continuously drive improvements in this developing nursery to consistently provide children with high standards of care and education. They have placed a focus on ensuring that staff and children are settled and feel safe and secure in their environment.

Leaders identify appropriate training needs to support staff to continually enhance and build upon their professional knowledge and skills. Those staff who are new to working in early years receive support from their peers to develop their skills and knowledge and to undertake professional qualifications. All staff receive appropriate coaching and mentoring. They have opportunities to seek feedback on their practice and guidance if needed. Staff undertake training that is specific to individual children, for example in relation to additional needs or to support medical and dietary needs. This knowledge supports staff to reduce any barriers children may have to their learning. Staff feel valued and that their workload is effectively managed.