Fennies Kings Hall

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children make good progress in their learning from their starting points.

They benefit from a varied curriculum that offers interesting activities to develop their curiosity and imagination. Overall, children are happy at the nursery. Staff are warm, kind and engaging.

They welcome children into the setting and support them to settle. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, handovers are still occurring at the main entrance door, although consideration is being given to reviewing this arrangement.Older children are confident communicators and express their ideas well.

Their interest in buildings and castles has prompted ...a topic where they learn about different structures from around the world. They skilfully navigate where construction pieces can go to make a shared model. They busily use masking tape to make their creations and design with a purpose in mind.

Younger babies are nurtured and enjoy cuddles with staff. They laugh with delight as they play 'peekaboo'. They are developing their physical skills as they show increased confidence while using the climbing equipment.

Babies learn to make connections with others. For example, staff encourage a simple turn-taking game while pushing cars down the ramp. Babies are quick to recognise the expectations and patiently wait for their turn and clap excitedly.

Toddlers are beginning to develop their independence. They respond to their own physical needs, such as getting a tissue to wipe their nose, and know how to dispose of this safely. Children enjoy the rhyme and repetition of familiar songs and some enthusiastically join in singing and copying actions.

Toddlers show pride when they are chosen to help set the table up for lunch and understand routines, such as scraping their plate after eating.

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

There has been some inconsistency in the management team and staffing arrangements, which has provided some challenges for the provider. Despite this, the team are dedicated to reviewing practice and providing good quality care to support better outcomes for children.

The cover manager is already focusing her time effectively to offer support where it is needed most. This has quickly had a positive impact on the quality of care and education.Staff say they enjoy working at the setting and feel valued and supported.

They are encouraged to develop their skills through a range of training opportunities. Support from members of the quality development team and educational adviser helps staff to plan an engaging curriculum. Leaders have considered how staff can access training in more accessible ways, such as through 'lunch-and-learn' sessions.

Recent sessions on outdoor play have enabled staff to consider how they can develop the outdoor area in the future, to offer more challenge for older children.Children are generally content at the nursery. In the main, the key-person system is effective in helping children to feel safe and secure.

However, on occasions, toddlers struggle to manage their feelings during transition times. For example, before lunch, toddlers are not secure with the staffing arrangements and a number of children become upset, which is hard for staff to manage. This creates unsettlement in the room and impacts on children's emotional security.

Staff provide a curriculum that follows children's interests. They make accurate assessments of children's ongoing progress. Children become motivated learners, they develop curiosity and their imagination.

Staff know what skills children need to learn over time, such as building on young children's independence.Overall, staff support children's language and communication skills effectively. Younger children are introduced to new language, such as 'backwards' and 'forwards', as they play with cars.

Older children explore and talk about different herbs, such as rosemary and parsley, as they make salt dough. However, on occasions, staff do not use story times to fully engage children. They do not consistently recognise the importance of using these occasions to develop children's language and vocabulary.

Subsequently, children do not consistently have the opportunity to develop their communication and language during story sessions.Children behave well and show care and consideration for each other. They learn to share and take turns from a young age.

Staff will work with parents to offer additional support where required and put support plans in place. Children also learn to respect their environment, as they help to tidy away resources.Parents say their children enjoy attending the setting and they have seen them make good progress in their development.

They find the staff caring and describe them as 'fantastic'. Parents expressed some concern regarding inconsistent staffing arrangements. They recognise there are current challenges regarding staff recruitment, however, there is some dissatisfaction regarding communication from the wider leadership team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and staff have a secure understanding of their responsibilities to protect children. They know possible signs that a child may be at risk and how to report any concerns about children's safety and welfare.

Staff safeguarding knowledge is regularly tested out through spot-check quizzes. This gives staff confidence in knowing what to do if they need to respond to any concerns. The premises are well designed to offer safe and secure spaces for children to enjoy.

Children also learn to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others. For example, staff have gentle discussions with children about how to safely use cutlery.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nimprove the effectiveness of the key-person arrangements, to ensure that all children are able to build secure bonds to support their emotional well-being, particularly around transition times strengthen staff's knowledge of how to use story time to engage children and to maximise opportunities for communication and language development.