Kids Zone

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The manager and staff prioritise children's emotional well-being from the start of each session. They welcome children warmly and spend time patiently and sensitively helping the children who need more time and reassurance to settle. The staff team works with parents to tailor the settling-in period for each individual child. For instance, they allow children to keep comforting items from home with them until they feel more emotionally secure. Staff are playful and imaginative, which helps children to feel at ease. For example, staff see children pretending to play the drums using tin pots, so join in enthusiastically by imagining they are playing a guitar using a tennis racquet. Consequently, all children settle well and feel contented and comfortable with the friendly staff.

The staff make clear their expectations for the children's behaviour and explain to children the reasons for the rules. For example, they remind children that they might break the toys if they play roughly with them and that they must only use the woodwork tools when an adult is sat with them. Children learn to respect their environment and to keep themselves and each other safe. They listen to and follow staff's instructions, such as to bring their play to an end temporarily to come together as a group and to tidy up at the end of the session.

The staff team provides a broad range of resources and activities, which they plan according to the information parents share about their children's likes and interests. Older children develop their leg strength when they climb and balance on the large equipment. Toddlers pretend to make hot drinks for staff at the role-play kitchen, and babies enjoy looking at books with staff.

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

• The manager is clear in her intentions for children and shares her vision with staff so they understand how to support children during the short time they attend. In particular, they focus on children's personal, social and emotional development, to help children to settle in, make friends, take care of themselves and learn to share and take turns.
• The staff team promotes children's communication and language development effectively. Staff model a broad vocabulary, such as talking about 'exercise' and 'weight' during the children's play. Staff organise whole-group activities to provide new children with the opportunity to introduce and talk about themselves, which they do confidently with encouragement from staff.
• Staff are friendly and kind and build positive relationships with children. For example, they refer to children affectionately as 'my friend'. Children enjoy the company of the staff and draw and paint them cards and pictures as gifts.
• The manager reflects on how well the provision meets children's individual needs. For example, she has reduced the length of sessions for babies and toddlers after recognising the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on younger children's emotional well-being. This has helped these children to become more confident and develop attachments with staff more quickly.
• The manager provides good support for staff's professional development. She considers the impact of training on staff's confidence and practice and acts on their ideas when they request help to develop specific skills.
• Staff follow children's interests when considering what activities to set out for them. For example, after children request to make play dough, they thoroughly enjoy mixing the ingredients together. On occasion, staff do not realise when the school-aged children take a lead role in activities and overshadow the younger children, who are subsequently unable to join in and engage fully.
• Staff encourage children to be independent, including deciding what toys and resources they want to play with. However, at times, new children follow the older children around. Although they are contented, staff do not support them to follow their own interests and become engrossed in games and activities of their choosing.
• The staff team works closely with parents to find out about children's special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They provide flexibility with session times and staffing to meet the children's individual needs and to allow them to settle in their own time.
• Parents talk about the setting and staff very positively. They value staff's sensitivity and nurturing manner and comment that their children love attending. Staff display photos to keep parents informed about which staff will be working with their children each day and share information with parents about their children's time at the setting.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop strategies to build new children's confidence to make independent choices and to engage them more deeply in their play
• review the organisation of planned activities to involve and engage each child who wishes to take part.