Kindercare (Hgte) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children thrive at this highly inviting and stimulating setting. They show excellent levels of confidence and remain deeply engaged in their learning. Children acquire exceptional skills ready to move to school. They develop high levels of independence and show determination when completing tasks and challenges. Children form a 'pre-school council'. They gather each other's thoughts and ideas about what improvements they would like to see at the setting. Children develop close attachments to the caring and nurturing staff team. This demonstrates that they feel safe and secure at the setting. Children behave remarkably well and form strong friendships with one another. They learn how to regulate their own emotions, for example by participating in calming activities, such as yoga sessions. Staff introduce mindfulness activities to children and support them to manage their feelings.

Children benefit from a highly ambitious curriculum that helps them to develop superb communication and language skills. They use words such as 'nutrients' and 'seedlings' when learning about the life cycle of plants. Children show that they are able to recall and build on previous learning. They talk about growing their own flowers and plants at home, including strawberries and sunflowers, and use words such as 'nectar' when talking about butterflies and bees. Babies explore textured books with staff. Young children are provided with props and resources that help them to retell familiar stories.

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

• The extremely dedicated manager leads by example. She offers continuous support, encouragement and guidance to the highly qualified staff team. The manager has excellent practices in place to promote staff's well-being. This includes development and training opportunities within the setting. Staff comment that they feel valued when receiving thank you cards for the work they have done. They complete questionnaires and share their views and ideas during team meetings.
• Children show an excellent understanding of mathematical development. This is threaded throughout all aspects of learning. Children show an understanding of how to measure volume and length. They learn about number shapes. For instance, during sand play, children look how different numbers are formed. They make comparisons and comment that number six looks like number nine upside down.
• The setting is highly inclusive. Children with special educational needs excel in their development. Staff work in partnership with other professionals and help children focus their learning. Children who arrive at the setting with low social skills make remarkable progress and develop strong friendships with others.
• They work together and are happy for others to join in their play. Staff use visual prompts and encourage children to understand what happens next in their routine.
• Partnership working with parents is a real strength of the setting. Parents compliment the dedicated staff on how well they support children to exceed in their development. They are invited to contribute to 'family books'. Staff and children share these together. They talk about different families and share photographs of special events and people. Parents are provided with information about what children are learning about at the setting, They are able to borrow resources, including books from a 'lending library' to share with their children at home.
• Children are provided with healthy, nutritious meals. They develop an excellent awareness of how to follow a healthy lifestyle, and excel in their physical development. Children climb and balance when playing on climbing structures. Young children learn how to kick and throw balls with accuracy. They show excellent levels of concentration and hand-to-eye coordination when using scissors to cut open packets of seeds. Young children manipulate dough to create models. Staff show children photographs of transport and talk about the different features as children build.
• Staff expertly follow children's interests in their play. They introduce technological equipment, including electronic tablets, and encourage children to listen to various sounds of different modes of transport, including aeroplanes and helicopters. Young children are exposed to rich and complex vocabulary and join in with conversations. This helps to promote their listening and attention skills.