Portland Kindergarten Limited

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children are excited as they arrive at this warm and caring nursery. They show confidence as they leave their parents with ease. Babies form close relationships with their key person and receive comfort and reassurance. They sit with friends and stack bricks to make a tower, giggling when it falls. Older children make independent choices about their play from a variety of resources that capture their interests. For example, children blow through straws to make bubbles and race toy ducks. They proudly tell their friends, 'look at my big bubbles'.

Children have daily opportunities to be active and play outdoors. They balance on an obstacle course and bounce on a trampette. Children engage in risky play independently, climbing up a big wooden climbing frame and confidently sliding down. This helps to develop their physical skills. Children show resilience when they try to put on their wellingtons and coats by themselves. They work together with their friends to dig in the soil. Children use magnifying glasses to search for minibeasts in the garden and use books provided by staff to extend their knowledge of insects.

Children benefit from planned experiences that support their understanding of healthy eating. For example, pre-school children use their senses when they explore and handle a variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs. This allows children to express their likes and dislikes and to try new tastes.

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

• Staff know the children well. They use observation and assessment to monitor children's learning and to help them understand what children know and can do. Staff ensure that children take part in a wide range of activities that follow their interests and generally support their development. However, not all staff use what they know about children's development to support and challenge them during activities.
• The nursery is highly inclusive. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Staff identify gaps in children's learning and work closely with external agencies to create targeted support plans. This ensures that staff find the best way to support individual children's needs.
• Overall, staff promote children's communication and language development well. They talk to children and introduce new words, such as scoop, to help extend their vocabulary. Children with communication difficulties are supported to use visual aids to help them make choices. Staff repeat and model words to further support their language skills. However, occasionally, during group times, staff do not fully support children's understanding or listening skills. For example, staff sing songs quickly, and children do not have the time to hear the words clearly or to join in with the singing.
• Children are supported to develop their independence skills. Staff have established routines to support their personal hygiene. For example, children know where to find tissues and independently wipe their noses. They know to pinch their noses as they wipe and celebrate their achievements when they do this successfully.
• Children learn about the world they live in and visit places within the community. Staff plan visits to a local park and Lincoln Cathedral, and children benefit from trips to Lincoln Castle. The nursery also works with a local nursing home to share experiences. Children visit the residents to sing songs and create artwork for them.
• Parents are happy with the support children receive. They report that their children are making good progress and love attending the nursery. Staff use a variety of methods to communicate with parents. For example, parents receive daily updates about their children's day. They complete parent questionnaires and have access to online information about their children's progress. Staff discuss children's development and share the next steps in learning. They arrange stay-and-play sessions, which allows parents the opportunity to join their children in the nursery and gather ideas for activities to support their children's learning at home.
• The management team works hard to ensure that staff are well supported. Staff access training courses to promote children's safety. For instance, they complete paediatric first-aid and safeguarding training. Peer observations and regular staff meetings allow staff to share information and further develop their practice. This has a positive impact on the experiences children receive to support their learning.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• help all staff to understand how best to support children to achieve as much as they can throughout the nursery
• develop ways to enhance younger children's communication and language, particularly during group activities.