Kingston Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children leave their parents and carers with ease. Staff greet them warmly. Children show great independence in the morning routines, such as they take of their coats and hang them up. Children settle straight down to activities that interest and engage them. They have positive attitudes to their learning and behave well during their time at the nursery. For example, when staff request help at tidy-up time, children are eager to help and respond positively to staff's instructions. Overall, the curriculum is sequenced to ensure that children build on what they already know and can do. As part of the curriculum, staff support children to become independent in their self-care skills, such as serving their own food, pouring their own drinks and putting on their coats.

Staff encourage children to build on their skills as they transition into the next room and, eventually, on to school. The nursery has a high focus on developing children's communication and language skills. For example, staff encourage children to repeat single words as they play the 'magic box' where children remove an object of interest from a box and repeat its name. Staff are enthusiastic for children to do well and praise them when they pronounce words correctly. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language make good progress. Staff break down next steps into small achievable tasks. This provides all children with the support they need to succeed.

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

• Staff generally provide a challenging curriculum for all children. They identify the skills that children need to acquire before they move on to school. However, when activities are set up, staff are not always clear about what they want children to learn from them, and so the learning aims are not met. For example, when staff aim to teach children about measure and number through water play they do not demonstrate or explain what this means. As a result, children loose interest and use the water to explore colour mixing. This means children's learning is not always extended as intended.
• Children make good progress from their starting points in development. They tailor most activities effectively to children's individual interests and needs. Staff actively promote children's listening, attention and communication skills. They use effective questioning and visual cues to ensure that all children are involved and their learning is extended.
• Staff introduce some mathematical teaching and language into children's play such as full and empty. However, they do not always introduce numbers and counting into the activities. For example, when children race cars, staff use rulers to see how far they have travelled but do not identify the numbers or clarify children's understanding of number and distance. This reduces opportunities to build on children's understanding of mathematical concepts.
• The nursery provides support for many children who speak English as an additional language. Staff use lots of singing and rhyming to introduce new words to children. They use short sentences and repeat words often. Children use other strategies, including visual timetables and flashcards, to express their needs and wants. Children become excited about listening to familiar stories, such as they call out the character names on each page. All children make good progress in their communication and language skills.
• Staff encourage children to lead healthy and active lifestyles, which includes regular physical exercise and outdoor play. For instance, in the playground, children practise their balance and coordination while using the obstacle course. Children practise keeping safe as they stop and start when red and green flags are displayed. This supports children physical development and awareness of their own safety in play.
• The nursery has made great improvements working with parents to provide children with healthy and nutritious snacks and meals. Children demonstrate a wonderful understanding of what foods keep them healthy and use this knowledge to influence what food goes into their packed lunches. This approach helps children to develop positive attitudes towards their physical and emotional well-being.
• Partnership with parents is effective. Staff share regular updates with parents about their children's daily routines and activities. They share information about children's developmental progress and discuss their next steps in learning. Staff translate information when necessary, to ensure that all parents understand and can take part in their child's learning at nursery and at home.
• The manager has high expectations for staff. There are effective procedures for recruitment and supervision in place. Staff say they are well supported and their professional development is actively encouraged. For example, recent training in early years has helped staff to plan and promote children's communication and language effectively. Children are well prepared for their future learning, including starting school.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• provide more opportunities for children to practise counting and mathematical concepts
• develop further the implementation of the curriculum, to strengthen children's engagement in their learning.