Kingswood Day Nurseries Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are delighted to arrive at the setting and get started with their day. They begin conversations excitedly with staff who greet them. Children engage in daily forest-school sessions at a nearby site. Staff create a welcoming environment deep within the forest. Children play freely and independently. They learn about nature and how to assess and manage risks themselves. Children spend long periods of time concentrating on what they are doing, which helps them to deepen their knowledge. For example, they collect sticks and pinecones, and enjoy transferring them from one container to another.

Children behave extremely well as there is always something captivating for them to do. They are increasingly confident in offering ideas during group sessions. Children learn quickly how to focus their attention when listening to their friends and staff.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff kept in touch with all families. They suggested ideas and created a lending library of resources to help parents extend children's learning at home. Staff offered support to parents during this trying time. When children returned to nursery, staff focused their efforts on assisting children in settling in. They planned meaningful activities based on the children's interests and wants. Staff continue to work in excellent partnership with parents to find out about children's interests at home.

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

• The manager, who is also the owner, has clear intentions for the nursery's broad curriculum. She works with staff to decide collaboratively on their approach to this. They plan a curriculum based on the children's interests and learning needs. Their aim is to support children's progress through building on what they already know and can do. However, at times, staff do not recognise how to extend children's learning further as they play.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have the support that they need to make progress in their learning and development. Staff work closely with other professionals to identify targeted support to meet children's individual needs. Parents of children with SEND comment that they feel very well supported.
• Staff place a strong focus on developing children's speaking and listening skills. Those working with babies provide resources, such as soil and shredded paper, to bring stories to life and keep children interested. Staff have made good use of recent training to support children of all ages to develop confident communication skills. This includes using sign language to support children's understanding of spoken words.
• Children are busy and motivated learners. They explore a wide variety of interesting resources that can be used in different ways. Children use them imaginatively and play creatively. For instance, they successfully connect guttering and tubes together to build very long car runs around the forest floor. Older children show good problem-solving skills and work closely alongside each other to find a solution to get balls stuck in a tube.
• Children have very good opportunities to develop their physical skills. The setting benefits from its rural location and wide-open spaces. Children have plenty of space to run, climb, jump, dig, slide and balance. Younger children have fun as they swing in a hammock and older children take their turn on the swings.
• Staff feel valued and work well as a team. They receive regular supervision and access training that enables them to carry out their roles and responsibilities well. The manager understands the pressure that staff are under and how hard they work. The manager and staff reflect regularly on practice and are committed to continuous development with a clear action plan for improving the care they provide.
• Staff get to know and understand each child very well. They make strong connections with parents and families. Highly effective communication systems are in place to share precise information about children's care and learning needs. Parents are extremely complimentary about the staff and the progress that their children make in their learning. They describe that the staff are 'like extended family' and that they are 'grateful for the level of care' their children receive.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff further to make the most of teachable moments to extend children's learning as they play.