Kindercare (Hgte) Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children demonstrate that they feel safe. They develop well within this inclusive environment. A well-established key-person system helps children to form secure attachments and positive relationships with staff and other children. For example, babies benefit from staff's warm interactions and cuddles in a calm and soothing environment. This helps to build children's positive self-esteem and confidence. Children's communication skills develop very well. Throughout activities, staff provide a commentary, model good conversational skills and introduce new vocabulary. Babies and toddlers repeat familiar words and phrases in response to staff. Older children show confidence in speaking and listening.

Children have a very good attitude to their learning, including those in receipt of early education funding. They demonstrate an enjoyment of books. For instance, older children listen intently to stories read by adults. They remember what they have heard, and retell favourite stories, using their own words as they look at books by themselves. Babies and toddlers quickly learn how to enjoy books. They are highly curious and absorbed as they turn pages and lift flaps to discover pictures. Children behave well and make independent choices in their play. They learn to share and take turns. Staff are excellent role models. They use positive praise and reinforcement to help children to manage their emotions and learn acceptable behaviour.

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

• Managers and staff have a clear intent of what they want children to learn. They plan the curriculum well to ensure that children progress through the different stages in learning and are well prepared to move on to school. Staff get to know children well from the start. They gather information from parents to help children to settle in and to support their individual needs and interests.
• Children learn through an effective balance of adult-led activities and child-initiated play. Staff introduce topics that capture children's curiosity and support their learning. For example, older children are engrossed when they learn about the sinking of the Titanic. Older children then eagerly predict which objects will sink or float in the water tray. Children beam with pride when they succeed.
• Children eagerly access early mark-making resources. Babies and toddlers confidently make marks in paint, and older children regularly record their thoughts and ideas. Children gain a secure understanding of mathematics. They concentrate well as they count and demonstrate a secure understanding of positional language. Staff further extend children's learning as they introduce concepts of 'more' and 'less'.
• Children have lots of opportunities to develop their physical skills. Babies learn to crawl, walk and climb. Children aged two years competently use a knife and fork to eat. They use their body during songs, such as 'Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes'. This supports their gross-motor skills, such as coordination and balance. Older children confidently climb onto an outdoor climbing frame, kick balls, and skilfully ride on bicycles.
• Staff include activities in their planning to increase children's awareness of cultures and heritage. This enables children to begin to understand about the beliefs and practices of others, and to be inclusive. Children learn about similarities and differences. They share photos of their family members with staff and each other from their home learning books.
• Children develop a good understanding of personal hygiene and develop good independence skills. They discuss with staff how germs can make you sick and why it is important to brush your teeth. Older children enjoy their fruit and say please and thank you when getting their drink from the staff.
• Staff establish strong partnerships with parents. There is successful two-way communication between parents and staff. Parents say that their children love coming to nursery and make excellent progress, especially in their language and social skills. Parents are full of praise for the friendly and dedicated staff team.
• Leaders and managers support all staff, particularly apprentices, through professional development. The well-established leadership team creates a reflective culture. Overall, there are established systems in place to monitor staff's performance. However, recently, supervision sessions have become more infrequent and focus less intently on helping staff to extend their good practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide all staff with more frequent and focused support, to help to extend on their good practice.