Little Kids Kingdom

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children walk happily into nursery and are greeted with a smile and warm embrace from staff. Children settle quickly and build strong relationships with their key person. They enjoy exploring the soft-play equipment as they arrive at nursery. They run and climb through the equipment as they explore with their friends. Staff recognise the importance of physical activity in preparing children for the next stage of their learning. Children learn to roll balls to each other in the garden and scoop soil into bowls as they work together to make 'pumpkin soup'.

Children know the nursery routines and follow them effortlessly. They transition smoothly through the nursery. Staff share visual timetables with children to help them identify what will happen next. Children stop instantly when they hear the bell ring. They listen to instructions and work together to tidy away resources with care.

There are robust systems in place to keep children safe in nursery. Video intercom systems help staff to ensure that only appropriate people can gain access through their main security gate. Children learn how to keep themselves safe. Staff teach them how to risk assess the outdoor environment. Children take part in completing checklists to make sure that resources and equipment are safe to use.

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

• Children benefit from a meaningful curriculum that develops their love of language and literature. Children develop a repertoire of words and phrases from familiar, repeated stories. They sing rhymes and songs throughout the day and join in with the actions. Older children talk about their rhymes and stories of the week with confidence. Babies choose songs, using props and puppets to support them. They sit with staff and smile as they sing their favourite songs.
• Staff frequently assess children's progress and create unique targets to support their development. They use these targets to plan creative activities. Children learn about the days of the week and take part in meaningful discussions about how they feel. Children build towers with cubes, and staff support them to count how many they have used. However, staff do not always make the most of opportunities to extend children's learning further.
• Children strengthen the muscles in their fingers by holding and using small pegs to make shapes and patterns. Staff support them to understand how to share resources. Children demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. They take turns and communicate with each other about what they are making. Children talk about the colours that they use and distinguish between dark blue and light blue. They practise making shapes, such as hearts.
• Children are independent learners. They choose the resources that they would like to play with and develop their own ideas about how to use them. Young children learn to recognise their face on their peg when hanging up their coat. As they move up to the pre-school room, children learn to recognise their names. Children are invited to pour their own drinks. However, healthy options are not always easily accessible to children. This means that they do not always make healthy choices.
• Children who speak English as an additional language make good progress in their language and communication. Staff find out key words and phrases from children's home language and use them to communicate with children and build a sense of inclusion. Children practise repeated key words to help them communicate their needs with staff. Babies and young children use visual aids to let staff know what they need.
• Parents work in partnership with staff to support children's care and education. Staff regularly share challenge cards with parents. These enable parents to take part in activities at home that target children's identified next steps. Parents speak highly of the team and their passion for the care of their children. Parents feel that their children settle very well and make good progress from their starting points.
• Staff feel happy and supported by leaders and managers. They report that their well-being is prioritised, and they are confident to share any thoughts or concerns. All staff are aware of their professional development targets, and share a positive attitude about how they will reach their goals. There is a positive culture around continuous training and development.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• support children to make healthy choices, ensuring that healthy drinks are equally accessible
• strengthen teaching further by providing challenge that takes children's learning to the next level.