Kidzrus Private Day Nursery Swinton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children flourish in an inspirational environment that connects them with the natural world. Children relish the opportunities to take part in daily visits to the forest and develop excellent personal, social and emotional skills. Children build strong emotional attachments to staff and behave exceptionally well. They learn to manage their feelings and emotions and treat one another with kindness.

Staff have a superb knowledge of children's individual interests and developmental needs. They thoughtfully support new babies to settle in. For instance, staff create individual 'family' books that are filled with photos of special people to share with babies to reassure them. One-year-old children learn to care for living creatures, such as the nursery pet rabbits. They stand and peep through a hole in the fence and are fascinated as they observe the nursery chickens laying eggs in their coop. Two-year-old children are mesmerised when they meet the local mayoress. They keenly examine her ornate jewellery and elegant gown, and they learn about the different job roles people in the community have. Staff give three-year-old children excellent opportunities to deepen and broaden their learning. For instance, children are excited to gather eggs that the nursery chickens lay. They very carefully place them on a tray and learn how to cook them, such as making scrambled eggs or omelettes. The manager and staff place children at the heart of everything they do. They provide exciting activities that enrich their learning experiences.

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

• The truly dedicated manager creates a highly ambitious curriculum that is implemented extremely well by staff and embedded securely. Staff plan an inspiring curriculum that is tailor made for each child. This highly personalised approach ensures that all children make rapid progress in all areas of learning.
• Staff across the nursery support children's language development extremely well. For example, children can be heard singing at various times all around the nursery. Their animated chatter fills the air as they play. Children enjoy quiet moments as they sit snuggled up with their key person and are engrossed in a favourite story. At other times, children spontaneously recite favourite phrases from books animatedly. For instance, as they walk to forest school sessions, they exclaim that their feet 'squelch' and 'squerch' through the 'thick oozy mud'. Children are highly confident communicators who use language incredibly well.
• Children develop excellent physical skills. For instance, they work as a team to make obstacle courses at different levels. They skilfully balance when they negotiate the ramp that they have created. Children pull themselves up on rope swings or swing on a tyre, building up their body strength and mental stamina. They squeal with delight as they thoroughly enjoy sliding down a muddy slope that they fondly call 'dinosaur mountain'. Children develop great confidence in their abilities.
• Staff wholly embrace children's enthusiasm for learning. For instance, two-year-old children enjoy showing their peers how to complete routines during yoga sessions. Staff recognise children's talents and give them opportunities to lead these mindfulness sessions themselves. This results in younger children gaining extremely high levels of confidence in their own abilities.
• Parents are extensively involved in their children's learning and access the many extra-curricular activities available to them. For example, they attend 'Dad's Day' and 'Forest Walks' where they participate with their children in mental-health sessions. Parents say that staff really get to know their child, commenting that their child can now manage their emotions more effectively. For some children, this is because staff identify that they benefit from learning outdoors and provide excellent opportunities for them.
• Staff provide very tailored support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work closely with the local authority SEND coordinator to support parents, alongside other agencies. Recent training has enabled a member of staff to take on the specific role of SEND coordinator in the nursery. Children benefit from precise teaching plans and individualised support. This helps to ensure that all children can access the curriculum.
• The manager and staff are extremely passionate about giving children an extensive range of experiences to learn about the community. For instance, children go on bus rides to local shops, visit local art galleries and a Victorian street museum. Children take part in acts of kindness, such as giving food to homelessness charities. They make special hampers for the elderly to enjoy at Christmas. These rich sets of experiences help to widen children's understanding of the cultures and communities beyond their own. Children gain an immense sense of belonging in the community.