Kindred Beeston

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

When children arrive at the nursery, they eagerly press the buzzer and await to be welcomed by staff. Staff show they care about each child individually. They take the time to stand and chat with parents at drop-off. This supports children to separate from their carer and confidently say goodbye each day. Staff encourage children to choose activities to explore and engage with from the environments they have planned.

Staff support children to behave well. They use praise to let children know what they expect of them. Children know to listen to staff's instructions. For example, what to do at tidy-up time. Staff support children to be kind and respectful. They ask who can help and how they can help each other. Staff consistently focus on children's learning skills, such as taking turns, sharing toys and being kind to their friends. Children demonstrate they understand boundaries and remind their friends of the nursery rules.

Staff encourage children to build self-confidence and show pride in their own achievements. Younger children enjoy singing familiar songs with the staff. As they finish each song, staff encourage children to clap and celebrate. Staff hang toddlers' names on their proud cloud to show their achievements that day. Staff choose a child to become the 'Star of the week' in the pre-school room. As staff present children with their certificates, children smile with pride. This helps children to recognise what they have done well.

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

• Managers and staff understand what they want children to learn. They collect information from parents regarding each child before they start. Staff use this information and their knowledge of child development to plan learning experiences for children. They plan visits to their local community to enhance children's experiences. For example, children learn about the world around them as staff take them to the local market, where they purchase vegetables to take back to the nursery and eat at mealtimes.
• Staff encourage children's communication and language development well. With the youngest children, staff name items they hold up or play with. Staff point to their ears and encourage children to listen for sounds in their environment. For example, when a bus goes past, staff say can you hear the bus. Children go to the window confidently and try to say 'bus'. Staff sing frequently with the children. Children try to repeat the language staff use with them. Pre-school children are asked appropriate questions to support them to think and elaborate on ideas they have as a group, for example, while children make a tower to save a princess from the dragon.
• Staff support children to engage in tasks that develop their independence. Staff load spoons for younger children during breakfast time, so they can try to feed themselves. Toddlers use tongues at snack times to serve themselves breadsticks and practice holding jugs to pour drinks with the help of staff. Older children use cutlery to feed themselves and pour their drinks using jugs independently. Older children are keen to take themselves to the toilet and know when to ask for help from staff.
• Parents speak highly of the nursery and say their children are happy to attend. Parents add that because staff show genuine care and create each child a personal experience, their children warm to staff and settle quickly. Parents receive daily updates from staff, including what fun and engaging activities they have organised for their children. Parents value how staff support their children to achieve. For example, children learn new skills such as taking turns and being kind to others.
• Staff carry out risk assessments to ensure the environment and resources are safe for children. Staff monitor children's use of the internet while they are at the nursery. However, they do not support children to develop a deeper understanding of how to stay safe when using electronic devices, particularly when accessing the internet and social media elsewhere.
• Staff follow children's interests and engage well with them in their play. Staff maintain children's focus. They listen to children, repeat what they say and comment on what they do. Children show understanding of things they have learned before. For example, as toddlers play imaginatively, they involve staff offering them a pretend cup of tea. Staff join in, as they pretend to drink, children giggle and say, 'milk is for tea'. However, as staff interact with children, they do not consistently challenge them to build on what they already know and can do.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to understand how to keep themselves safe online
• strengthen staff skills when interacting with children to help them help children build on what they already know and can do.