Kidz Choice (Mays Lane)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive high levels of kindness and respect from staff at this nurturing nursery. For instance, staff gently talk to children and explain what they are doing as they change their nappies. This helps children to feel safe and secure. Therefore, they quickly bond with staff and develop firm foundations to support their learning. Children are confident and independent as they explore the activities and resources. They learn to complete self-care tasks, such as eating with cutlery and using the toilet by themselves. This helps them to develop high levels of self-esteem.

Children play together in a welcoming and inclusive environment. The displays, resources and activities reflect the children's own cultural experiences and help them to understand the lives of others. Staff find out about the languages that children speak at home. They ensure that they use familiar words and phrases with children. This adds to children's sense of belonging.

Staff have high expectations for children and place them at the centre of all that they do. They use the children's ideas and interests to plan the learning experiences. Therefore, children become highly engaged in the activities and show positive attitudes to learning. For example, children display determination and resilience as they negotiate an obstacle course. They are delighted when they successfully make it to the end.

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

• The manager, who also owns the nursery, provides strong and effective leadership. She spends time in the rooms with staff, to support and guide their practice. Staff also receive regular supervision and training, to further enhance their skills and knowledge. For instance, some staff complete their early years qualification while working at the nursery and successfully move on to leadership roles. Staff speak positively about the nursery and describe the team as 'family'.
• Parents confirm that there is strong partnership working with the manager and staff. The daily exchange of information ensures consistent support for children's care and learning. Parents have noticed progress in their children's confidence, social skills and speech development since starting. They comment that their children have formed loving bonds with staff and thoroughly enjoy attending the nursery.
• The manager and staff know the children and their families well. They plan the curriculum effectively, to help close any gaps in children's learning and experiences. For example, staff understand that some parents work long hours and have little time for outings with their children. Therefore, they ensure that children have opportunities to visit local parks and open spaces. They also arrange trips further afield, such as to the seaside.
• Children develop strong friendships with their peers and enjoy each other's company. In general, they play cooperatively and behave well. Staff step in to help solve occasional disagreements. For example, they remind children to share and to use 'kind hands'. However, staff could do more to help children recognise and talk about their feelings, as they learn to moderate their emotions independently.
• Staff provide engaging activities, which help children to develop their speech and language. For instance, they read and sing with children and introduce new words during play. However, at times, staff allow more confident children to dominate discussions. Therefore, quieter children have fewer opportunities to contribute to conversations and practise their communication skills.
• Children benefit from an enabling environment, which supports them to lead their own play and learning. They engage in active and purposeful play, which helps them to progressively build on what they can do. For example, children develop coordination as they participate in dance and movement sessions. They learn to manipulate objects and use simple tools during art and craft activities. This helps to strengthen their hands and arms in readiness for writing.
• Staff provide effective interventions for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This includes involving other professionals where needed. The manager uses additional funding to help children access the full curriculum, such as through specialised resources or one-to-one support. As a result, all children make good progress from their starting points.
• Children show a positive approach to healthy eating. For instance, before lunch they joyfully sing a song about eating their 'five a day' of fruit and vegetables. Children enjoy the balanced and nutritious meals. They explain how the vegetables provide vitamins and protein helps them to build strong muscles.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• ensure that staff consistently support all children to develop their communication skills, in particular how to listen to others and take turns during conversations
• develop further the ways that staff help children to understand and express their feelings and emotions.