The Kensington Kindergarten

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Leaders and staff share the highest aspirations for every child at this setting. They greet children in the morning with a warm smile and a handshake, before escorting them inside into a highly stimulating and welcoming environment. Staff know children extremely well and all interactions are of the highest quality. Children feel very safe and secure, and this enables them to flourish.

Children's behaviour is exemplary. Staff share high expectations of children's behaviour and make excellent use of the 'golden rules' to help children to make positive choices. They are quick to support children to resolve minor conflicts, getting down to their level and discussing with them how to solve the problem. Children learn how to play collaboratively. For example, they build an imaginative 'chocolate factory' together in the soft-play area, sharing ideas and listening to each other as they play.

All staff understand the curriculum intent and know how these translate into practice. Staff incorporate children's interests and ideas into their planning. They are skilled at delivering ambitious learning in an age-appropriate manner. There are a wide variety of extra-curricular activities that strengthen the curriculum offer and enable children to develop their interests and talents. All children make excellent progress across the curriculum and are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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

• Leaders and staff prioritise developing children's language skills. Staff are excellent role models for spoken English. They constantly talk to children, narrating, introducing new vocabulary, and asking questions that promote thought and conversation. Staff actively listen to children and tell them that their thoughts are interesting. Staff wear communication lanyards to support children who are learning English as an additional language to understand what is happening next and to communicate their needs. Over time, all children develop into confident communicators, with notably secure attention and listening skills.
• Staff place value on developing children's independence skills. For example, staff tell children how to make their own compost. They then encourage children to follow the sequence cards to complete this activity as independently as possible. This is observed across all age groups. Staff give children the time and space to take the learning in their own direction. They praise each child's individual outcome, and children beam with pride as their work is displayed on the walls. This supports children to have belief in their own abilities and to develop 'can-do' attitudes.
• Children show the highest levels of engagement and enjoyment during adult-led learning and when choosing their own activities. For example, they approach new adults to enthusiastically share the treasure maps they have just drawn. Staff encourage children to persevere until they succeed, even when finding something tricky, such as when trying to use scissors to cut up cardboard tubes. As such, children develop highly positive attitudes towards their learning.
• Staff know their key children exceptionally well and use this knowledge to build on their prior experiences and develop their cultural capital. For example, some children go on a tube train for the first time as part of their transport topic. Staff take children into the local area to engage in nature walks or number hunts, or to post their own Valentine's Day cards. In addition, staff teach children about a wide variety of festivals and cultural events. This supports all children to feel represented and valued, while widening their understanding and curiosity of the world.
• Leaders ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included and fulfilling their potential. They adjust the environment to make sure that all children have full access to the curriculum offer. Leaders and key staff work alongside parents and other professionals to ensure that children with SEND make rapid progress towards their individual targets.
• Leaders place a strong focus on upskilling and developing the staff team. As such, the whole team demonstrates consistently strong teaching and a superb understanding of how young children learn. Leaders prioritise the well-being of their staff, with staff commenting that they feel exceptionally well supported and highly valued by a caring and dedicated management team.
• Leaders and staff understand the value of working in close partnership with parents, and they welcome parents into the setting as often as possible. For example, on the day of inspection, parents came in to lead a dragon craft activity in celebration of Lunar New Year. Parents speak very highly of the setting. They praise the 'incredible' staff and say that the care that their children receive is exemplary. They comment that their children are exceptionally well prepared for school, across all areas of the curriculum.