Kids Planet Witney

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are confident, happy and settled in this safe and nurturing nursery. There have been many recent changes in staff. Despite this, staff have strong relationships with children and their families and know them well, which helps to maintain professional and secure relationships. Overall, staff support children's learning and development well. They plan and provide an inclusive environment, which incorporates a good range of activities both inside and outside of the setting. Staff use an extensive amount of natural resources to broaden children's sense of exploration and curiosity. For example, all children enjoy their imaginative and creative play with fresh flowers, herbs and fruits as they mix with water and create pictures.

The key-person approach is well embedded to ensure children receive the care, comfort and attention that they require. Staff respond sensitively to children's individual care needs and provide a wide range of enriching activities that support children's well-being and overall development. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their individual needs met well by staff, who are knowledgeable about the children's next steps. Staff provide a rich language environment, which in turn promotes confident communicators. All children benefit from staff who enthusiastically sing, read stories and engage them purposefully. Children behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes across the setting.

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

• Leaders have created a warm, inclusive environment and are actively working to improve the nursery through a clear, focused action plan. Recent changes have created inviting spaces that support children's development. Leaders understand and follow Ofsted's notification requirements accurately and they take appropriate action in the event of any incidents.
• Staff understand the importance of keeping children safe and they have good procedures in place to maintain children's safety. For example, the adult to child ratio is maintained and staff are deployed effectively to ensure children are always within sight and hearing. Headcounts are regularly completed, including before children come in from playing outside.
• Staff manage behaviour consistently and sensitively, promoting a culture of mutual respect. Relationships between children and staff are warm and supportive. Staff have a good awareness of what they want children to learn and how planned activities support development and individual needs. Interactions are warm and appropriate. However, at times, staff's implementation of these activities is not always purposeful enough to maximise progress for every child.
• Children enjoy nutritious snacks and meals that support their individual dietary needs. Meals are home cooked and plentiful. Staff use mealtimes to support children's independence. For example, babies are encouraged to feed themselves. Staff support children's good personal hygiene routines, and nappies are changed and checked regularly. Staff are confident in the procedures for treating and reporting accidents and incidents.
• Staff support children to enjoy a range of activities that complement their learning and development. Babies are encouraged to develop their gross motor skills as staff sensitively support them in navigating climbing apparatus. Toddlers demonstrate imagination and teamwork as they use crates to construct a bus and enjoy collaborative pretend play. Pre-school children have access to a rich variety of creative materials, which they use to produce self-portraits and imaginative items, such as mermaid handbags. While staff ensure that most areas of learning are well supported, early mathematical development is not as consistently embedded across the provision. Nevertheless, children do have opportunities to explore mathematical concepts such as volume and spatial awareness through play.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Information is shared effectively with the parents through an online platform and other forms of communication. All about me information, contracts and consents for outings are all in place and maintained. Parents spoken to during the inspection were highly positive about the setting, commenting that they are 'happy with the staff', have 'seen improvements' and that their 'children really enjoy coming.'
• Leaders and staff work well together. Effective recruitment procedures and risk assessments are in place to ensure staff are suitable. Staff feel supported and well cared for. Leaders provide staff with a programme of professional development and coaching that gives them clear direction to develop their skills and knowledge. This contributes to a confident and capable workforce that is committed to delivering high-quality care and education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review and improve staff's planning for children's individual learning intentions, to help children make the best possible progress in their development
• develop staff's knowledge and understanding of how to extend children's early interest in mathematical language and concepts.