Kids Planet Wilton Castle

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders ensure an inclusive provision. There are rigorous and consistent procedures in place to assess children's individual needs. The setting's special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is very passionate about their role. They access relevant ongoing training courses and effectively support other colleagues. This ensures all staff work together to reduce barriers to children's learning, including designing a sensory room and devising care and learning plans for individual children. The SENCo works closely with other professionals and with parents to agree care and learning plans. They also offer advice for parents to extend children's learning at home. Several parents comment that they, as well as their children, also feel extremely well supported by the setting.

Any additional funding is effectively used to benefit children and support their learning and development. Rigorous procedures are implemented by the provider and also by the local authority, to monitor the impact of how funding is used. Monitoring demonstrates that there is a positive impact for children and they do make excellent progress in relation to their starting points, which parents are also keen to share.

All staff are skilled at adapting activities, or their practice, to ensure that all children are included, involved and feel valued. For example, they repeat instructions or demonstrate actions for children to understand and copy.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have ongoing oversight of the inclusive and high-quality curriculum, which is well designed for the different age groups. There are individual learning plans and one-to-one sessions in place for children that need some extra support.

Consistent procedures are in place to monitor staff's practice, the quality of their teaching skills and their implementation of the learning programmes. Staff are skilled at adapting programmes and seizing opportunities to follow children's interests and extend learning. For example, children notice that some leaves have fallen from nearby trees and staff take them to collect them. They discuss the changing weather, make Autumn-themed pictures and read related topic books, which help children to begin to understand the world around them.

Staff are well aware that children learn at different rates. All staff across the setting know all of the children in their care really well. Staff talk enthusiastically about the children, their personalities, what each child likes to do and how they learn. This helps staff to adapt learning where necessary to ensure that all children are fully included and involved. Staff talk about how proud they are of children's achievements, particularly the children who have experienced barriers to their learning.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children are making excellent progress across all areas of development, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.

Children's communication and language development is a strong focus across the setting. They benefit from engagement in lots of discussions, singing, and story and rhyme times. Babies' large physical development is very well supported and careful consideration is given to the layout of furniture and activities to best promote babies' safe movement and exploration of their environment.

Children benefit from well-developed and carefully considered transition procedures. This supports their social and emotional development when they move on to the next room within the setting, or when they move on to school.

Children gain independence throughout the consistent daily routine. For example, they learn the skills they need for toileting, feeding and washing themselves, which promotes their confidence and personal development. Children develop their thinking and problem-solving skills, for example, they use books on the corners of a roll of drawing paper, to stop it from moving.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children are extremely well behaved and staff deal with rare, minor incidents calmly and sensitively. For example, they explain to children how kind it is to wait and take turns, such as taking turns to pour water along tubes for their ducks to float on. This also helps children to develop positive relationships with their peers.

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is very skilled at recognising when some children may need additional support, such as when certain situations can affect their behaviour. The SENCo effectively implements different strategies and routines to help children to begin to manage and regulate their feelings and also effectively supports other colleagues with this.

There is a strong key-person system in place, all staff know the children really well and the setting has a 'family-feel' about it. This supports a very welcoming and nurturing environment. As a result, children are happy to attend, they have a positive attitude to learning and are enthusiastic to participate and engage.

Staff promote children's regular and punctual attendance. There are clear and rigorous procedures in place for when children fail to attend. These are well understood by staff and are shared with parents.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders consistently prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing, ensuring that policies, procedures and practices are rigorously implemented and reviewed. Staff demonstrate an excellent knowledge and understanding of the setting's policies and procedures. These are consistently followed and have a positive impact on outcomes for children.

Babies and children benefit from warm, positive and trusting relationships with caring and nurturing staff. Staff also consistently implement safe sleeping and safe eating procedures. Staff are passionate about giving children the best start in life and encouraging the skills they need for the next stage in their development. Staff help children learn about keeping themselves safe and healthy. For example, they allow children to take risks when playing outside but also remind them to think about safety, such as when climbing up a slide.

Leaders ensure that children are provided with healthy and nutritious meals and snacks. Staff discuss healthy foods with children during mealtimes and play activities. Leaders also provide lots of information and resources for parents to support their child's welfare, wellbeing and learning at home. For example, home learning and home interest bags are available, which include resources for topics, such as promoting oral hygiene, a new baby, moving house and potty training.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are excellent role models and ensure a culture of high expectations and professionalism is embedded across the setting. They receive excellent support from a wider management team. Leaders provide motivational support for staff. For example, they ensure staff have access to numerous ongoing training and development courses. In turn, staff are committed to continuous professional development and are enthusiastic about completing additional training and development to support them in their roles. As a result, staff make a consistently strong, positive contribution to improving the quality of provision.

Staff present as a strong team who work extremely well together to promote the best outcomes for all children. They state that they feel very well supported at work, feel valued and are happy with their workload. Staff comment that staff-child ratios are sometimes above what is required, which allows them time to complete additional online training courses. Leaders also evaluate record-keeping procedures, to minimise staff workload where possible.

Leaders have rigorous evaluation procedures in place and have already identified and planned for improvements in the outdoor play areas. This includes the removal of some resources, the purchase of new ones and staff accessing forest school training.

The setting works closely with other professionals and with parents, including when devising children's individual care and learning plans. Leaders' decision-making is always in the best interests of children and families, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are known (or previously known) to children's social care, and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.