Little Kingdom Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop warm and trusting relationships with staff, who are kind and caring. For instance, new children enjoy a cuddle for reassurance when they become upset. Children demonstrate that they feel happy, safe and well cared for. They develop good levels of confidence and self-esteem and a willingness to try new activities. For instance, children enjoy threading pasta to make 'caterpillars'. This helps to develop their small-muscle skills in preparation for early writing. Children are becoming independent learners. For example, they pour their own drinks and help to tidy their toys. Children make choices in their play and learning. The helps to develop their confidence. Children enjoy daily outdoor play. They have great fun as they practise their physical skills when they climb, balance, jump and ride bicycles.

Staff have high expectations for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children are curious and motivated to learn. They thoroughly engage in a variety of good learning opportunities. Children's behaviour is supported well across the setting. Staff consistently praise children for their efforts, achievements and positive behaviours. Children develop high levels of self-esteem and positive attitudes to their learning.

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

• The manager has devised a broad and balanced curriculum. It builds on children's knowledge over time and is linked to the learning needs and current interests of the children who attend. Staff make regular observations and assessments of children's learning. All children make good progress from their starting points, including those with SEND.
• The manager and the staff team have ambitious expectations for all children. Children with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds are supported well as staff work alongside other professionals involved in their care and learning. Staff use information they obtain from parents in the beginning to plan for what the children need to learn next. Any additional funding received by the nursery is spent well and staff comment that the benefits for the children are good.
• Children's speech and language are a priority. Staff model language well through good interactions with the children. Staff extend children's language as they introduce new words during sensory activities with children. For example, staff use descriptive language as they encourage children to feel coloured beans in the water tray. However, although staff have visual aids to support non-verbal children to understand what is happening next, these are not consistently used. Therefore, children do not understand what is happening next or what is expected of them.
• Staff understand the importance of children developing their physical skills. They provide plenty of opportunities for physical activity, indoors and outdoors, and they teach children to make healthy choices concerning exercise and drinking plenty of water. However, staff do not always promote the nursery's ethos regarding healthy eating with parents. As a result, some children lack an understanding of what food is suitable for their bodies and how to make healthy choices in the future.
• Partnership with parents is strong. Parents are happy with the care and education their children receive. They comment that staff plan a variety of exciting activities to support their children's development. They feel involved in their child's learning and supported to continue this at home. Parents comment that their children enjoy the activities in their home learning packs.
• Staff are professionally qualified. They speak enthusiastically about their roles and say that they feel valued and supported by the management. They receive information during their induction about the expectations of their role. Staff are well supervised and meet regularly with the manager to discuss their professional development. They receive guidance and training to help them improve their skills and knowledge.
• The manager regularly reflects on the provision to identify and build on good practice. She actively seeks the views of parents, staff and children and then uses the resulting information to plan improvements.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve the use of visual aids to support children's communication and language development further
• support staff to promote children's understanding of how to make healthy choices.