Kiddies Kingdom

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are settled and secure, separating happily from their parents and eagerly exploring the activities. Older children greet staff warmly and younger ones smile and hold out their arms to staff.

Children are kind to one another, understand the expectations of the setting and work well together. For example, all children readily help to tidy up. Staff support them well and children carefully return toys to the correct place and help one another carry containers to the shelves.

Children participate in making decisions, such as which activities they would like to do. This promotes their self-esteem and ability to und...erstand other people's needs and interests.Children reflect the good example set by staff and demonstrate positive attitudes.

They persevere at tasks. For instance, children note that they can wind a toy snake around a chair. They develop control of their smaller hand muscles as they persevere with this, showing great pleasure when they succeed.

Children learn about keeping themselves safe. For example, they competently use safety knives when carving pumpkins. Staff are sensitive to the possible issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

They understand that some children are taking longer to settle and so offer shorter, more frequent settling sessions.

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

Leaders continuously review practice and make changes that broaden children's learning experiences and help develop their independence. For instance, children now enjoy serving themselves at snack time.

Staff monitor children's progress and take prompt action if they become aware of any potential for children to fall behind in their learning.Leaders support staff well and ensure that their workloads are manageable. Staff report that they feel valued and are supported to develop their teaching skills.

Staff confidently assess children, enabling them to understand what children know and what they need to learn next. They offer interesting play opportunities that support children in taking these next steps and in making good progress from their starting points.The promotion of children's communication skills is a high priority.

Staff use a variety of methods to support this. For instance, children sing and talk into microphones, helping to develop their confidence. Staff speak clearly to children and introduce new words.

They ensure that children have opportunities to practise these words as they play.Children gain a good understanding of how to keep themselves healthy. For example, they use dough to make model teeth and look at how these can decay.

Staff support children's oral health further as they help parents to register their child with a dentist.Parents report that staff communicate well and help them to build on children's learning at home. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) feel that staff support them in working with other professionals and in making sure that children's care is consistent at home and at the setting.

All staff understand how to support children with SEND, so that wherever they choose to play, their needs are met and their development promoted. Staff explain how they support children, so that they participate meaningfully in activities, such as enjoying story time.Children develop a love of reading.

Staff pay attention to children's interests and ensure that these are represented in the reading material available. For instance, children enjoy looking at comics that depict their favourite superheroes.Children enjoy their interactions with staff and are, generally, supported in extending their thinking.

However, on occasion, staff ask questions and answer them for children. They do not consistently encourage children to think critically and try to find solutions to problems.Children learn about their community.

Staff are reintroducing visits to local shops and parks. This initiates children's interest in the wider world and helps them to develop a practical appreciation of diversity.Children enjoy using the outdoor area.

For example, they use buckets to scoop sand in a tray. However, staff do not always offer as many outdoor opportunities to fully build on the development of children who prefer to play and learn outdoors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and know how to work with other professionals and report any concerns about children's welfare without delay. They complete regular training to keep their knowledge of safeguarding up to date. Staff have a thorough awareness of the dangers posed to children by exposure to extreme views and practices.

They understand the possible risks associated with using the internet and take appropriate action to protect children. They sensitively support children in learning how to keep themselves safe.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support staff further in allowing children time to think and in supporting children to think critically and find solutions to problems nenhance the use of outdoor areas to offer children who prefer to learn outside further play and learning opportunities.