KidsZone Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children are welcomed into a safe, clean and well-resourced nursery. The manager has a focus on what she wants children to achieve. For instance, she recognises the importance of children developing their communication and physical skills in readiness for school.

Staff provide a suitable range of opportunities for children to develop their physical skills. However, staff do not have consistently high ambitions for children's language development. At times, staff do not interact with children effectively to ensure that children receive consistently good opportunities to build on their existing communication skills.

This hi...nders the progress children make in their language development. Overall, children join in with the activities that are offered to them. Staff plan age-appropriate activities for children, which help to support most aspects of their learning.

For example, children enjoy playing at the role-play area and develop their imaginative thinking. Staff join in while children play and encourage their involvement. Most children settle into the nursery well when they are new and are happy to join in and learn.

However, children who are overly upset and require extra support during their settling-in period, do not always get the help they need. Staff take turns to settle and calm new children who are upset rather than the children's key person taking responsibility to help establish a secure bond. Some children's emotional needs are not always supported effectively.

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

Staff are friendly and caring and most children settle in smoothly. Most children are confident to explore the activities set up for them. However, the key-person system is not always successful at helping all new children, particularly children who are more sensitive, to become familiar with the setting.

Sometimes, key people do not offer their key children a consistent and settled relationship to help build children's confidence and secure attachments. Some new children are upset for prolonged periods of time.Staff suitably check on children's abilities and any gaps in their development are identified.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who have delays in their development make adequate levels of progress. The manager and staff work well with other professionals to seek advice to ensure that these children get the support they need in their development.Children develop their physical skills.

Staff encourage them to use tools such as paintbrushes to paint pictures and help them to develop the muscle control in their hands. Children also build with different construction toys and develop their hand-eye coordination. Children use equipment inside to climb and balance.

Staff provide some opportunities for children to develop communication skills. For instance, children begin to develop their listening skills while staff read stories to them. Staff read books with repetitive language to encourage children to join in and repeat the words.

However, at times, staff do not consistently interact well with children to help them develop good language skills. For instance, staff do not frequently build on children's existing vocabulary and help them to practise using language in context.Staff work with parents suitably well.

They share regular information with parents to help inform them about what their children can do. They also discuss with parents how they can support children's learning at home and implement a consistent approach.Staff receive mandatory training, such as for first aid and safeguarding, to help them know how to keep children safe.

The manager has procedures in place to monitor staff's practice, such as through supervisions. However, current procedures have not been successful in helping the manager to swiftly recognise areas of practice that require development so that action can be taken to improve, such as providing staff with further professional development opportunities.Children eat healthy foods at mealtimes and learn about healthy lifestyle choices.

Staff encourage children to do things independently, such using cutlery to feed and serve themselves food. Staff consistently implement good hygiene practices. Children learn to manage their own personal needs, such as washing their hands before eating.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager and staff understand their duty to keep children safe. Staff who take lead responsibility for safeguarding have had relevant training for their role and at least one of the lead members of staff are always on the premises to ensure that any safeguarding concern is dealt with efficiently.

Staff know the signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm or neglect and to whom to report their concerns. The manager implements effective procedures to check staff are suitable to work with children. The premises are safe and secure.

Staff carry out risk assessments effectively to help identify and remove any possible risk to children to help maintain their safety.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To meet the requirements of the early years foundation stage, the provider must: Due date ensure an effective key-person system is in place, particularly during children's settling-in periods, so that every child's care is tailored to meet their individual needs, to help them become familiar with the setting and to offer a settled relationship for the child 31/10/2023 improve staff's interactions with children to ensure they make good progress in their communication and language development.31/10/2023 To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: develop procedures to monitor staff's practice to help quickly recognise any weaknesses and take swift action to address these.