Kaleidoscope Day Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are settled, happy and feel safe at this nursery.

Staff greet children warmly and with enthusiasm at the start of their day. Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, parents do not enter the nursery in the usual way. Children have adapted to the new routine well and cheerfully wave goodbye to their parents as staff collect them.

Children develop positive and trusting relationships with staff. They benefit from having a regular key-person and buddy system to provide consistency in their care and learning. Staff are sensitive and responsive to children's needs.

For instance, they provide a nurturing ...environment and offer lots of cuddles to babies as they settle into the nursery routines. Staff place a strong focus on supporting children's social and self-control skills. Children are beginning to manage their behaviour and learn to take turns and play cooperatively with their friends.

If a gentle reminder is needed, staff use a turtle hand puppet to help children understand and manage their feelings in a calm way.Staff provide exciting spaces to play, such as the well-equipped sensory room. Younger children jump with glee on lights on the interactive floor board, and older children demonstrate good coordination skills as they stretch and make balancing shapes with their bodies.

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

The management team is passionate and ambitious about providing quality care and education for all children. The team monitors the educational programmes accurately and seeks feedback from parents, children and staff to help identify and target areas to develop. Staff in each room evaluate their practice and introduce ideas to improve outcomes for children.

For example, staff in the toddler room added an interactive number line to help develop children's mathematical skills further.Staff plan stimulating experiences to support children's development that are based around children's interests and what they already know and can do. Staff gain detailed information from parents and observe children closely to understand individual learning needs.

They use this information well to plan for what children need to learn next. Funding is used effectively to support children's individual interests and learning requirements and to close any gaps in learning.Staff make communication and language development a priority and, following on from training, have increased their skills in this area.

They interact with children skilfully, and actively support them in developing their vocabulary and understanding. For instance, staff sing songs, share stories often and model good language. Children speak confidently and with increasing fluency as they get older.

Children are confident and have good levels of independence. They are eager to take part in tasks, such as putting their plates away and stacking their cups. Babies feed themselves with spoons and toddlers pour their own drinks.

Staff provide healthy and nutritious meals.Staff plan activities that help children to develop their physical skills well. For example, babies practise how to balance their bodies as they cruise around large, soft shapes.

Older children run as fast as they can as they participate in egg and spoon races.Children enjoy making choices in their play and are motivated to learn. For instance, younger children thoroughly enjoy smearing paint on their hands and seeing the results as they excitedly pat their hands on paper.

However, on occasion, some staff do not consistently hold all children's attention or help them to engage fully during group activities.Staff regularly share information in accessible ways to parents. Parents speak highly of the support their children receive and feel well informed.

Staff forge strong links with other professionals and settings to secure the best possible support for children. They work closely with teachers to prepare children well for starting school. This helps to ensure continuity in children's care and learning.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress in relation to their individual starting points.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The management team and staff demonstrate a secure understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities.

They recognise the signs and symptoms that might alert them to a child being harmed or mistreated. These include wider safeguarding issues, such as radicalisation. Staff keep their knowledge up to date, for example through regularly attending training.

The management team uses robust recruitment procedures to ensure those caring for children are suitable to do so. Staff complete daily checks and risk assessments to ensure that the environment is safe for children.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: help children to concentrate and engage fully during all group activities, to support their learning and development even further.