Kingwood Children

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are greeted by their key person when they arrive at this nurturing nursery. Staff work with parents from the outset and plan individualised settling-in procedures for new starters. This allows children to become familiar with their environment and their key person. Staff are knowledgeable and give children practical and emotional support. They are close at hand to offer cuddles and reassurance if necessary. This helps children to build trusting bonds with the staff and feel secure.

Staff plan a broad and well-sequenced curriculum with a primary focus on children's well-being. They support children to develop secure attachments and a sense of safety before building on their communication skills and physical development. As children grow, staff help them to develop confidence in all areas of learning, preparing them for the move to school when the time comes. Outdoor activities play a key role in the curriculum. Staff regularly take children on trips in the local community. Older children learn important life skills, such as road safety.

Children learn about the expectations of their behaviour and conduct. They demonstrate excellent knowledge of personal safety on their outings. For example, older children know to stop and wait at the door. This is because staff prepare them with the knowledge they need to understand why boundaries are in place. Children behave well and consistently listen carefully to instructions.

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

• Children enjoy a balanced curriculum. Staff work closely with parents to assess children's knowledge and skills. They use this information to help them plan for children's next steps in learning. Overall, staff are aware of the next steps for children. However, on occasion, they do not use their knowledge of the next steps to extend younger children's learning fully. This does not help some children to build on their prior knowledge and help them to make the best possible progress.
• Staff want children to be independent. They plan for children to manage tasks themselves. For example, staff encourage older children to eat independently and hang up their own bags and coats. However, at times, staff do things for younger children that they could learn to do by themselves, such as blowing their noses and taking their coats and shoes off. Therefore, these children are not always fully encouraged to master independence skills for their future.
• Staff give children's communication and language development the utmost priority. They introduce new words to babies as they play and sing a range of songs. Older children develop their vocabulary, such as when they join in with fun rhymes and stories. Staff use the correct language as they speak to children and narrate children's play. This helps children to become skilled communicators.
• The curriculum for physical development is a key strength. For example, children have good fun in the garden daily. Here, they practise their coordination and balancing, such as when they crawl through tunnels and climb up apparatus. Furthermore, as babies explore their environment, staff encourage those who are not yet walking to pull themselves up and take their first steps. Consequently, all children demonstrate good physical ability.
• Children are active in the local community. They enjoy going to the library and the park with staff. The setting has connections with local organisations, such as care homes and the church. These experiences help children appreciate the similarities and differences of people in the local community as they develop their understanding of the world.
• Children have many opportunities to build their mathematical knowledge. They are encouraged to sort, match and count as they play. Staff help children to consider if items are heavy or light. Children practise mathematical skills that will help them in their future learning.
• Partnerships with parents are good. Parents speak highly of the setting. They value the level of communication they receive and feel fully informed of who their child's key person is and what next steps they have in place. Parents appreciate the advice and guidance they receive from staff as they approach new milestones with their children, such as potty training.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support staff to identify what younger children need to learn now and next, and use this to help build on children's prior learning
• extend opportunities that enhance younger children's independence skills to be able to complete tasks for themselves.