Kingsley Road Pre-School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff use children's starting points to plan a personalised and exciting curriculum for children. Staff assessments ensure that they are able to set appropriate targets so that children meet their individual milestones, and prepare them for their next stages in learning, including starting school.

Children are happy to come to nursery and staff take great care in supporting their emotional development. They use books and 'feeling monsters' to support children in times of happiness and sadness. Children have opportunities to go to a carefully planned sensory room and there are plenty of quiet spaces within the nursery for times when children may need a little 'time out' and comfort and cuddles from staff. Staff offer children high praise for their individual achievements and support them well to continue to keep on trying. They model their expectations for children's manners during mealtimes and in the importance of waiting for their turn on the slide.

The nursery promotes a love for reading and ensures children have access to a range of books in each of the different areas to further support them as they play. Children take books home to share with their parents and carers and enjoy looking at photo books of their friends as they celebrate a range of cultural festivals. Staff enthusiastically share the story of 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' and children enjoy joining in. They hold hands with their friends to navigate the big, dark forest and jump up and down as they role play splish-splashing through the water.

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

• Staff ensure there are a range of learning opportunities for children of different ages to engage with, both inside and outside. Although children enjoy all that is on offer, staff are not always able to fully support them in accessing the intended learning behind the planned activities. This is due to the organisation of these activities and the sheer amount on offer for children.
• Children are taught the importance of good hygiene practices. Sequenced pictures support children to use the toilet and wash their hands effectively. Staff sing songs as children practise brushing their teeth, teaching them the importance of oral health. Children enjoy the many opportunities for fresh air and exercise in their garden area as they climb steps, slide down slides, balance and enjoy joining in with ring games with staff.
• Careful consideration is given to developing children's small-muscle skills. Children enjoy making sandcastles in the sand tray and digging out the potatoes in the mud kitchen. The junk modelling and craft stations support children's creativity. Children use scissors to cut sellotape and mark make using felt tip pens and large chalks. Staff support them well when they encounter difficulties.
• Children freely navigate all areas of learning on offer and enjoy being imaginative. For example, they wash dishes in the kitchen area and take care of the 'babies'. Generally, staff support them well as they play. However, there are times when some staff do not fully understand how best to engage and extend children in their chosen play. This results in children quickly losing interest and not making the most of the potential learning opportunities on offer.
• Children respond well to staff's instructions for 'tidy-up time' and lining up for home time. However, staff do not always make their expectations for children's behaviour clear. They do not consistently remind children of safe and suitable ways to behave, such as the need to use their 'walking feet' inside, sit for circle times and group times and how to use the indoor slide.
• Parents are extremely happy with the nursery. They say their children enjoy coming and they have seen huge progress within their children's speech and language and social skills. They report that staff are kind and nurturing, and they are welcomed into nursery regularly for special celebration events. They are kept up to date with their children's targets and are given ideas to help at home.
• Leaders fully understand how to move forward and show a passion for continuous improvement. They make effective use of the support on offer from the local authority and work closely with a range of external agencies to meet children's individual needs. Staff are happy and feel well supported by the leadership team, both emotionally and professionally. They are provided with a range of training opportunities, including opportunities to gain early years recognised qualifications.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider the organisation of activities and resources for children, so that staff can support children more effectively and maximise potential learning opportunities
• support some staff further in how to engage and extend children's learning in their chosen play, to ensure children get the most from the planned activities and stay focused on activities for longer
• support some staff further to model their expectations for children's behaviour consistently, so that children fully understand safe and suitable ways to behave.