Whizz Kidz Nurseries Sutton

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children receive a warm and friendly welcome when they enter this setting. They thrive in the stimulating learning environment that staff create, which is focused on children's individual learning and development needs. The positive relationships between children and this passionate staff team ensure that each child feels safe and secure in the setting. Staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. They routinely discuss the 'golden rules' and use physical gestures and demonstrations to show children the required behaviours. For example, staff demonstrate using their 'walking feet' and ask children if this meets the expectations of the golden rules. In addition, staff gently remind children to appropriately store toys and equipment when they are finished, such as putting lids back on pens so that they do not dry out. Children show high levels of respect for each other and for their learning environment. Where there are minor conflicts between children, staff teach them the appropriate methods and language to communicate their feelings to each other. This helps children to resolve any disagreements easily.

Children learn to take care of their own physical care needs. Staff support them to wipe their noses and wash their hands independently. The children understand the importance of a healthy diet and oral hygiene because staff routinely talk to them about the impact of different foods on their bodies and teeth.

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

• The managers and staff create a curriculum that is ambitious and meets the needs of all children, including those with additional needs or who are in receipt of additional funding. Children's individual needs and interests are central to how the curriculum is implemented. Staff recognise that children's interests may change. They know how to swiftly switch activities to ensure that learning opportunities are not missed.
• Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive high levels of support. The SEND coordinator works extremely closely with parents and other agencies. This means that she can develop and implement bespoke, individual plans for each child. Children's progress is closely monitored, and support is tailored to their unique needs.
• Mathematical teaching is a clear strength of the staff team. For instance, staff teach children to make predictions on which car will win a race, before carefully counting the seconds to see which car completed the race in the fastest time. Children learn new words, such as 'on top', 'below' and 'beside' as staff describe where they see children placing blocks.
• Well-organised story times capture children's focus as staff use large gestures to tell their story. Children recall complex words, such as 'cauldron', as they talk about what they can see on the front cover of a book. Older children recognise that the writing on the back of the book is the 'blurb'. They describe this as a 'sneak peek' into what the story may be about.
• Communication and language are at the forefront of staff teaching practice. They focus on individual interactions with children, including those who speak English as an additional language. Using a wide range of open questions and gestures, staff build on children's language skill and confidence. At times, the noise levels in the room are quite high. This means that there are occasions where children and staff struggle to hear each other, and their communication is interrupted.
• Children learn to be kind and respectful to each other. They naturally share resources with their peers and understand that taking turns in games and activities mean that everyone is able to enjoy the activity. For instance, as children explore the mechanism they have made with gears, they each take turns to turn the starting gear in different ways.
• Parents speak highly of the setting and the staff team. They share how their children have formed positive, meaningful relationships with staff. Parents look forward to hearing new songs and rhymes that their children have learned as they sing together at home.
• Staff are supported by a management team that recognises their unique skills and abilities. All staff, including those who are working towards a childcare qualification, receive targeted professional development opportunities that advance their understanding of effective teaching. The management team consistently model their high expectations of staff practice.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• consider reducing the use of background music and staff interactions with each other during key moments where teaching is focused on communication and language.