Kinder City

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are welcomed warmly into nursery. Staff form strong relationships with the children and the key-person system is effective. They follow their children's interests and set up the environment so it is organised, calm and inviting. Children are given plenty of opportunity to explore freely. Babies really enjoy the water tray and say their favourite word 'bubble' as they splash and play. Staff support their language development by repeating single words and singing songs. They consistently foster children's independence throughout the day and have embedded a good routine. Children know what is coming next. They tidy up and get ready for the next activity and wash their hands before snack.

Staff plan an ambitious curriculum to spark curiosity and a love of learning. They provide a range of sensory and messy play experiences to further children's understanding. Staff use these opportunities to observe their key children and track progress and plan their next steps.

Children generally behave well. They demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning and maintain concentration for good periods of time. Children use their own ideas and listen attentively. For example, when children paint on tin foil, they choose their paint colour and squeeze the bottle. They follow instructions to select their mark-making tool and spend time creating swirls, line and shapes. Children are proud of their creations and want to do more.

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

• Children are confident communicators. Staff model new vocabulary well and support children with their emerging language. They ask questions and give children time to respond. Children engage in lots of conversation with their peers as they discuss their plans and ideas together. They select the resources they need and ask if they need help.
• Children have developed good fine motor skills and are strengthening the muscles in their hands. They confidently use scissors to snip fresh herbs and enjoy cutting tropical fruits, squeezing and juicing them as they learn about the story 'Handa's Surprise'. Children are active and enjoy being outside, riding on bikes and going on the climbing dome. Babies balance in the ball pit and crawl through tunnels. However, staff have not considered how to extend the experiences and environment to develop children's gross motor skills effectively.
• Children benefit from healthy, hot nutritious lunches and a carefully designed menu that ensures they have a variety of healthy foods to try. They serve themselves lunch and demonstrate good behaviour when they are eating together. However, staff do not consistently remind children about behaviour expectations throughout the day. They do not always explain boundaries or use a range of strategies to support children's understanding.
• Parents speak highly of how well staff settle their children and how they help them to transition to the next stage. They are pleased with how much communication they receive about their child's day, routine and the progress they are making. Parent partnerships are strong and they have seen the nursery improve and develop. They enjoy their time when they are invited into the nursery for special events. Parents notice the progress their children make with their communication and language skills and how much they enjoy coming to nursery.
• In this inclusive nursery, staff work closely with parents and outside professionals to put plans in place to give children additional support. They identify this early on when children start and create individual plans with targets. The focused work helps to narrow gaps in learning and funding is used effectively to ensure all children have the resources they need to make good progress.
• Leaders and managers are dedicated to improving outcomes for children. They ensure staff receive meaningful professional development opportunities to improve their practice and enhance their skills. Staff are happy with the support their receive from their managers and pleased with the information they receive during their inductions. Leaders and managers are extremely reflective and strive to adapt, improve and enhance all areas of the nursery to ensure children receive good-quality care and education.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• continue to enhance the curriculum, focusing on more varied and challenging opportunities that support and extend all children's physical development
• guide staff to implement a clear and consistent approach to managing children's behaviour to help support children's understanding of the expectations.