Kidz Matter Day Nursery Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children's laughter fills the air of this busy and vibrant nursery. The core value of 'their future begins here' captures what is special about Kidz Matter Day Nursery. Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, parents do not enter the nursery. Children adapt to new routines exceptionally well and confidently wave their parents off at the entrance. Children are happy, safe and content. They are excited to greet their key person and are eager to play with their friends.

At the heart of the nursery's success is the support they have in place for children's personal, social and emotional well-being. Staff encourage children to talk about their feelings and teach them how to be kind friends. Children behave well and show positive attitudes towards their learning. Babies giggle with delight while staff roll balls towards them. They climb on low-level apparatus and snuggle into staff during story time. Toddlers enjoy playing ring games and talk about different farm animals. Pre-school children excitedly talk about the lifecycle of frogs and enthusiastically go on a bug hunt. They attempt to write their names and show good coordination when playing football.

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

• The provider, ably supported by the manager, has a good overview of the nursery. She aspires to be outstanding and includes the views of staff, parents and children in self-evaluation. Her capacity to continually improve and drive forward change is good.
• Overall, leaders create a curriculum that builds on what children know and can do. Assessments are accurate and gaps in children's learning close. However, not all staff have a clear understanding of what leaders intend children to learn. This results in some activities being pitched too high or too low for children. For example, staff sometimes provide younger children with resources that are too difficult for them to use. As a result, some children lose interest in their learning.
• Staff support children's love of reading well and read them stories. Children become enthralled by enacting the roles of their favourite characters and talk about stories that they have read at home. Children are confident communicators, who use a wide range of vocabulary.
• Partnership working is strong. Leaders go above and beyond to establish secure relationships with parents and external professionals. Parents commend staff on their loving nature and typical comments include, 'this is a magical place where children are at the centre of everything'.
• The support in place for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong. Staff leave no stone unturned when it comes to ensuring that children get the support they need. Intervention plans are sharply focused. Staff monitor these with rigour and children make good progress.
• Staff receive regular supervision sessions and appraisal meetings. Staff feel valued and morale is high. Leaders support staff well-being through 'staff of the month', breakfast packs and 'shout out' messages. However, leaders do not consistently provide staff with incisive feedback, to improve their practice to the highest level.
• The support in place for children who speak English as an additional language is good. Staff support children to use their home language and introduce them to key words in English. Children quickly gain good communication skills and develop a good command of English.
• Leaders use additional funding for children exceptionally well. They plan outings to places that children would not usually visit, such as museums and book shops. Parents also enjoy these experiences with their children.
• Care practices are good. Staff follow strict hygiene practices and teach children about healthy living. Children learn about the importance of oral health and how to tend to their own physical needs. Children are self-confident, inquisitive and resilient individuals. They show respect towards others and behave well.
• Overall, staff teach children about the world they live in, such as learning about wildlife and cultural events. However, they do not consistently teach children about differences and similarities between themselves and others, such as different families.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to better understand what leaders intend children to learn
• provide staff with incisive feedback, to raise their professional practice to the highest level
• strengthen staff knowledge of how to teach children about differences and similarities, with particular reference to different families.