Kozy Cottage Childcare Ltd

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children arrive at the setting and separate from their parents at the front door, with support from staff. They quickly join their friends and are ready to investigate the interesting range of activities on offer. Children develop good bonds with their key person. This helps to support their personal, social and emotional development.

Children's behaviour is very good. Toddlers and babies play alongside each other harmoniously and show a positive attitude to their learning. Children have a clear understanding of staff's expectations for behaviour. Older children have worked with staff to develop their own rules for pre-school. They often remind each other to use 'kind hands' and 'walking feet' when indoors.

Children develop good physical skills. Older children make paper aeroplanes and fly them through the air. This helps to develop their balance and coordination. Young children climb on the wooden ship and dig in the outside area. Babies confidently move their bodies in a variety of ways. For example, they pull themselves to stand and dance enthusiastically to songs at singing time. This helps to develop their large-muscle skills. Children develop a love for reading. They sit cuddled up with staff in the garden area and share their favourite stories. This helps to develop children's literacy skills.

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

• Partnerships with parents are good. Staff ensure that they regularly receive up- to-date information about their child's development. They share ideas and suggestions of how parents can support learning at home. The setting has introduced stay-and-play sessions, covering specific topics, such as oral health and healthy eating. Parents comment that they find these sessions very useful and feel included in nursery life.
• Children benefit from a language-rich environment. Staff consistently engage children in conversations. They provide a running commentary as children play and introduce new words, such as 'turbulence' and 'vertical'. Babies babble back and forth with their key person. Toddlers participate in singing sessions, joining in with familiar words and actions. This helps children to be confident communicators.
• The manager has a good vision for the nursery and the curriculum. Overall, staff know the children well. They use their knowledge of children's interests to shape a curriculum that is exciting and interesting. However, some staff are less sure of what they are doing with the children and why. This means that their planning and delivery of activities are not yet precise or carried out consistently.
• Staff have attended a wide variety of safeguarding training and all staff are first- aid trained. However, staff do not access training opportunities to raise the quality of teaching to a higher level.
• Children learn the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. For example, children practise yoga and talk about the effect that exercise has on their hearts. Staff discuss the benefits of eating healthy foods and dental hygiene. This helps children to develop an understanding of keeping healthy.
• Children learn about the world around them. They go for walks in the local community and access local parks. Children learn about different cultures. Staff provide resources and activities to support children to learn about celebrations and festivals, such as Eid, Holi and Chinese New Year. This helps children to develop an understanding of the wider world.
• Staff are kind role models to children. They skilfully help children to learn how to manage their feelings and behaviours. Staff praise children regularly for their good behaviour. This helps to boost children's self-esteem and confidence.
• Children take part in interesting activities that capture their imaginations. For instance, young toddlers explore the texture of foam, while babies investigate oats. Older children discover what happens when they mix coloured paint. This helps to develop children's concentration levels and encourages them to take turns.
• Overall, staff work well with other professionals. They share emerging developmental concerns with other professionals in a timely manner. Staff work closely with portage and speech and language to provide specific interventions to help children make the best possible progress. However, staff do not yet liaise with other early years settings that children attend. This does not support the continuity of children's care and learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help staff to further develop their understanding of the curriculum so that they are aware of the specific learning intentions for individual children
• focus on professional development opportunities to raise the quality of the teaching to an even higher level
• liaise with other provisions that children attend to share information on children's care, learning and development.