Smart Kids Nursery

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Staff greet children warmly as they arrive at the setting. They ask how they are feeling today and how they have slept. Staff listen and are responsive to children's care and emotional needs. As a result, staff develop close bonds with children and their families.

Staff speak knowledgably about the children in their care. They know the children well, including their current level of development and what interests them. They use this knowledge to plan for children's next steps. All staff are involved in planning for children's learning. This leads to staff having a good understanding of the learning intentions of the curriculum. For example, staff talk confidently about what they want individual children to learn from an activity. This ensures children make good progress.

The majority of children who attend the setting speak English as an additional language. Staff support children well to develop and use their home language in play and learning. Staff speak over thirty languages between them. This means that children can communicate in their home language at the setting. When a language is not spoken, staff learn key words and phrases to support the child. Staff also recognise the importance of supporting children in reaching a good standard in English. The setting has a strong focus on developing children's language and communication skills. They do this by talking with the children, modelling language and encouraging children to express their thoughts and use new words.

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

• Staff teach children through stories, songs and nursery rhymes. For example, babies learn to make new sounds and say new words by singing 'Old Macdonald had a farm.' However, at times teaching methods and resources do not ensure that all children are active, engaged and focused on learning.
• Activities are well matched to children's level of development and learning. For example, toddlers explore the story, 'We're going on a Bear Hunt' using figures and natural objects, and pre-school children make vehicles using play dough. However, activities are not always designed to encourage children to explore and develop their own ideas and find things out for themselves. This can limit children's motivation and learning.
• Staff promote diversity well. Children learn about similarities and differences between people, countries, cultures, and faiths. For example, children dress up in traditional dress on Culture Day and they celebrate special events, such as the King's Coronation. This develops the children's understanding of the world, people and communities, and it helps them to get along with others.
• Children behave well and staff praise them for following the rules of the setting. Staff encourage children to be polite through gentle prompts and songs. For example, children and staff sing a 'Please and thank you' song before lunch. This teaches children good manners.
• Mealtimes are well organised and support children's growing independence. For example, children serve their own food, feed themselves and pour their own drinks. Children use cutlery and cups which meet their development needs. Most children sit on chairs and at tables which are appropriately sized. However, a small number of tables are too high for the children. This makes it difficult for children to feed themselves.
• Staff teach children about healthy living. For example, children choose their own healthy snack and drink. The meals that meals children eat are balanced and nutritious, including those brought from home. Children have daily access to fresh air and exercise in one of the two outdoor areas. Staff talk to children about the changes in their body during exercise, and they support families in accessing health and dental care. This supports children's health and growth.
• Parents are extremely positive about the setting. They praise the 'wonderful' staff for the relationships they form with their children and families. They feel well informed of their child's learning, development and well-being, through daily updates, an online learning log and parents' evenings.
• Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities feel listened to and well supported by the setting. They feel that their children make good progress at the setting. Staff swiftly identify those with possible additional needs and seek advice from external agencies to provide the children with the support they need.
• Leaders and managers have an accurate understanding of the strengths of the setting and areas for development. Clear monitoring systems are in place, which drive improvements in the quality of teaching and learning. For example, regular observations of practice enable leaders and managers to identify training needs and offer appropriate professional development opportunities to secure improvements in practice. The setting also works well with external agencies to improve the quality of provision.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve further the teaching methods and available resources and equipment, to ensure they meet children's needs and promote their focus on learning even more
• strengthen staff's understanding of how to support children in exploring and developing their own ideas and finding things out for themselves.