Kinder Giggles Nursery & Pre-School (at New Century)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children show that they feel safe and welcome at the nursery. They learn actively and this supports their physical and emotional well-being. Younger toddlers use energetic, whole-arm movements to aim cotton-wool balls at a sticky target. This promotes their muscle development and balance. Pre-school children confidently tackle a climbing wall. This gives them practice in coordinating their arms and legs. They emerge with delight and an obvious sense of achievement, at the bottom of a tunnel slide. Staff position themselves so that they are on hand to encourage children and supervise their play. They help children to judge and take risks safely.

Staff teach children to follow routines that promote their listening and attention skills. Pre-school children know that when they hear the little handbell, they must stop what they are doing and listen to the person who has rung it. Babies readily gather together when staff show them the little doll that signals it is time to sing some songs and rhymes. The routines promote children's independence and they learn the expectations for their conduct. Parents and carers say that they like the homely atmosphere of the nursery. They say that staff keep them well informed about activities and children's progress. This helps parents to continue children's learning at home.

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

• The nursery's approach to staff's supervision and training helps everyone to grow their professional skills and knowledge. The team attended training about promoting children's positive behaviour. One outcome was the introduction of a pictorial daily timetable. Using the timetable helps children to feel calm and ready when it is time to end one activity and begin another.
• Staff know the children well and plan a sequenced curriculum for them. However, some teaching is less well matched to what children are ready to learn. At group time toddlers are asked to find which of the 12 cards says 'December'. They choose at random, because the written words are not meaningful. Pre-school children make limited progress in learning to use scissors because staff do not identify, really precisely, the step that they need to take next.
• Staff promote children's early literacy. Children of all ages hear new and favourite stories. They join in with familiar phrases and anticipate what will happen next in the story. Staff design routines that make regular use of children's name cards. Toddlers look for their place at the snack table and begin to distinguish their written name from other children's. Older children learn that the initial letter of their name denotes the sound that it starts with.
• Staff understand how children learn. Babies encounter activities that stimulate their senses. They see, feel and taste the crushed breakfast cereal in the small-world farmyard. Staff are vigilant in their supervision of the activity. This promotes food hygiene and minimises the risk of children choking.
• Staff help children to continuously extend their vocabulary. They take them on outings that help to establish children's understanding of interesting words such as 'remembrance' and 'library'. At lunchtime, staff help pre-school children to look for their place 'in between' two other children. This teaches children to understand the meaning of positional words.
• Staff demonstrate good understanding of child development and assess children's progress accurately. When children's progress gives cause for concern, staff take appropriate action. They work in partnership with parents and implement advice from specialist professionals. Additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is used effectively.
• Staff know how to promote children's small-muscle strength and dexterity. Children build towers and join interlocking bricks together. They squeeze and roll play dough. They paint and draw freely. However, staff do not apply their knowledge of physical development to children's preparation to write their names. They ask children to trace over printed letters before children have learned the correct flow and direction of letter formation.
• Staff keep required records and share them with parents. Managers collate and review the records. This helps them to identify and assess risks to children's welfare. For example, when managers notice an increase in the number of accidents and injuries in a particular location, they take steps to address this. Staff take account of parents' feedback when they review and modify the nursery's policies and procedures.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to make the next steps for children's learning even more precise and meaningful
• develop staff's knowledge about teaching early writing.