Kindred Huntingdon

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are confident individuals who thrive in the staff's care. They have formed strong attachments to their key person, who provides the security for them to become absorbed in their learning and play. Staff provide babies with warm, consistent care and respond to their needs. They make sure they stay close by, comforting babies when they are tired or upset. Children eagerly share their thoughts about their experiences at the nursery. They explain that lunchtime is their favourite and that the lunch is in their tummy.

Leaders have designed a curriculum that ensures every child has a good start to their education. Staff have a good knowledge of their key children and use information from their observations of children to guide their planning. Staff help children to think about keeping themselves safe. Together, they discuss the importance of tidying up toys, so they do not trip over. Children are beginning to understand their feelings and learn to manage their behaviour with considered support from staff. Children follow the good example set by staff, who gently remind them of the rules. Staff praise children's efforts and children readily celebrate each other's achievements. This helps build their confidence and reinforces their positive attitudes to learning.

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

• Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress. Additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, is used effectively to support children and reduce any differences in their learning. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to review children's next steps, which helps them to decide what to teach children.
• Children enjoy listening to well-read stories. They enthusiastically join in, saying the familiar words. Staff recognise the importance of reading to children and share this with parents, encouraging them to read or look at books with their child at home. This provides children with good opportunities to hear lots of words, which contributes significantly to their future success.
• Children develop their physical skills as they learn to balance, control their muscles, and allow space for one another as they scoot along on ride-on toys. Staff support younger children as they try to walk across the 'bridge', encouraging them to persevere.
• Children join in with great enthusiasm, singing familiar songs and rhymes, which provide them with good opportunities to use their voices. They enjoy listening to stories and staff encourage them to think what happens next. Babies bounce up and down with delight as staff sing songs to them.
• Mealtimes are social occasions where children and babies relish the freshly made meals and snacks. Staff make the most of the opportunity to interact with children, who enjoy talking about their day. However, some mealtimes for older toddlers are less well organised, which means they do not consistently benefit from the same social experiences.
• Children are very independent for their age. They competently manage their personal needs, putting on their shoes or washing their hands. Staff show children how to complete simple tasks and this helps children to master new skills.
• Children are developing good communication skills. They have acquired a wide vocabulary, which they use readily. Staff talk to children during activities, ensuring that they pronounce words correctly, and ask questions that engage children's thinking.
• Staff work well together, and their morale is good. The manager values the staff team and provides effective support. Staff enjoy working at the nursery and say they feel valued and supported to do a good job. However, the leadership team has not sought further ways to help all staff develop a deep knowledge of teaching and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• review the implementation of the changes to the organisation of mealtimes for older toddlers and evaluate the impact of those changes on the quality of children's experiences
• continue to build on the already good practice, seeking further ways to enhance staff's professional development that focus on deepening their knowledge of teaching and learning.