Christchurch Kindergarten Children’s Nursery Limited

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are safe and happy at this warm and nurturing nursery. They respond positively and enthusiastically to staff engagement. Children beam with pride as staff clap and offer descriptive praise, saying, 'wow, well done, you are sharing'.

Children regularly discuss the rules of the nursery with a puppet, 'Mr Polly', to support their understanding of nursery rules. This helps children to understand the expectations of their behaviour well.Each child's individual needs are carefully considered, and leaders adapt the curriculum to suit the children.

For example, staff recognised that some children found it challenging ...to separate from their families following the closure of the setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, children can now choose how they would like to be greeted each morning using visual symbols such as high five, hugs or hand shakes. These help the children to separate from their parent/carer confidently and happily each morning.

Children make the most of the many exciting and interesting opportunities that staff plan for them. For example, they develop their understanding of the world around them as they explore snow and ice and discuss the changes they see as this melts.Children understand their daily routines well.

For example, they begin to tidy up when the bell rings or join in with the song that reminds them of how to sit during circle time. These well-embedded routines support children to feel safe and secure.

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

Leaders ensure that the curriculum for communication and language is effective at helping children to develop a rich range of vocabulary.

Staff support children to learn new, unfamiliar words. They identify words of the week and use these with children as they play and explore. This helps children to become familiar with new language, such as 'massive' and 'unpleasant'.

Staff get down to the children's level and ask well-thought-out questions or narrate as children play. Children develop well in their communication and language.Leaders put a strong emphasis on helping children to develop a love of books.

Children listen to the story of the week with interest, as staff read in an engaging manner. They become familiar with the book and join in with the words that come next. This helps the children to develop their sentence structure and build new vocabulary.

Staff carefully consider how to help children make good progress in their physical skills. Children improve their hand-eye coordination and strengthen the small muscles in their hands through activities such as squeezing play dough, drawing with chalk around shapes or painting the fence with water. Children climb on the climbing frame, kick balls, ride scooters and bikes or move to music.

This helps them to develop skills such as balancing, climbing, jumping and running well.Staff take every opportunity for children to develop their early mathematics skills. Staff use key mathematical language, such as 'empty' and 'full'.

They support children to develop an understanding of number through regular careful counting of objects. This means that children are developing a good understanding of important mathematical concepts.Leaders prioritise helping children to develop their independent skills.

For example, young children put on their coat or put their lunch box away after lunch. Pre-school children learn to use a knife as they cut up their fruit for snack time. Staff nominate a daily helper, who proudly sets up the snack table and changes the visual timetable throughout the day.

Developing independent skills such as these helps children to prepare for the next stage of their learning journey.Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Leaders work closely with external professionals to ensure every child receives the support they need.

Staff use strategies recommended by these professionals to help children with SEND make progress. This means that every child makes progress on their individual learning journey.Leaders work hard to promote a healthy lifestyle and the setting has been awarded the Healthy Early Years London Bronze Award.

Staff discuss and explore the importance of healthy food choices, looking after teeth and exercise with the children through activities such as role play. Leaders offer support to parents, where necessary, around what a healthy lunch box looks like. This means that children enjoy well-balanced and nutritious lunches, which they bring from home.

Leaders build strong partnerships with parents. Staff feedback to parents thoroughly about their child's learning journey. Staff and parents work closely together to support children's development.

On occasion, children are expected to focus on adult-led activities for longer periods of time than is appropriate for their age and stage of development. At these times, children are less engaged and do not make as much progress in their learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding processes to follow if they have concerns about a child or about the conduct of a colleague. Relevant safeguarding information is clearly displayed for staff to refer to. Leaders have a thorough understanding of safeguarding processes and procedures.

They stay up to date with any developments of local safeguarding policy or procedure by attending local authority network meetings. Recruitment processes are robust and ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. Staff make sure that children are well supervised throughout the day.

They make good use of an ongoing risk assessment process. Therefore, risks are identified and minimised as they occur.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: consider the length of adult-led activities so that children make as much progress as possible at these times.