Royal Gate Kids Pre School

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children settle well and enjoy their time at this welcoming nursery. They enter the nursery with confidence and are evidently very happy and at ease. Children build good relationships with the staff. Staff are responsive to children's needs, and they offer cuddles and reassurance, which help children to feel safe and secure. Children of all ages enjoy actively exploring the different areas of the nursery and independently accessing activities. For example, children are fascinated by the real vegetables in the role-play area. During outside activities, older children show concentration as they fill bowls of water to 'wash the dishes' in the outdoor role-play area.

The manager and staff work closely together to create a well-thought-out and inclusive curriculum. Staff have the same ambition for all children and have established effective partnerships working with other professionals and agencies. This ensures that all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, get the support they need.

Children behave well. The routine is embedded well, and this means children understand what is happening throughout the day. For example, when they sing the tidy-up song, children stop what they are doing and help to tidy away. Staff support children's understanding of the world around them and help them to learn about their local community and how to be a part of this. For example, children recently participated in an art exhibition, which was displayed in the local library.

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

• The dedicated manager is reflective and evaluates practice well. She provides good levels of support to staff. The team has regular opportunities to meet with her to discuss its work, and she provides support where needed. The manager is keen to continually develop staff's skills and knowledge. She places an emphasis on creating a respectful working environment for all. Staff comment that they appreciate recent training on team-building and feel that this has strengthened communication within the group.
• The teaching of mathematics is a strength. Staff use every opportunity to incorporate numbers, counting and size into the curriculum. For example, when children explore different resources, such as straws and sticks, staff encourage them to identify which stick is 'longer'. Children take their time to measure and successfully pick the correct one. During snack time, staff and children carefully count as they pour their drinks.
• Staff support children to learn about healthy lifestyles. Children understand they need to clean their hands after being outside. Staff provide information and resources to promote oral health and healthy eating. For example, children of all ages happily sing the 'toothbrushing' song and learn how to properly brush their teeth. Children have plenty of time outside, getting fresh air and exercise. This promotes children's good health and well-being.
• Staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They offer praise and encouragement consistently, and this helps children's self-esteem and confidence. However, at times, some staff do not always explain to children why certain behaviours are expected, such as sharing or not running inside. This means some children do not always fully understand why these rules are important.
• Children are independent, and they enjoy doing things for themselves. For example, children learn to put their own coats on before going outside. They demonstrate their physical skills as they serve their lunch and clear their plates when they have finished eating. Children carefully go down the staircase to go outside, paying close attention to keeping themselves safe as they do.
• Children are motivated to learn and explore. They are good communicators, and they enjoy sharing their ideas. For example, during a group story time, children create their own version of events after listening to the story. Staff show enthusiasm and interest in what children have to say. However, some staff do not always extend children's language as much as possible. For example, when older children show an interest in activities, staff do not always use adventurous or descriptive language to extend children's communication and thinking skills.
• The manager and staff have created strong partnerships with parents. Parents comment on how successful the transition was for their older children when they moved on to school and how well prepared they were for this next step. Parents feel well informed and value the emotional support that staff offer to the whole family.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• develop the ways in which children understand why rules are important and further develop their understanding of expectations
• continue to strengthen the consistency of staff's interactions to extend children's language, communication and thinking skills even further.