Kids Planet Wavertree

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, parents are not entering the nursery routinely.

Staff have supported the children to adapt to this change well and they confidently enter the nursery. Parents comment that during the pandemic, they are being kept well informed about their child's progress by talking with staff and through electronic systems.Children are happy and behave well.

They develop independence and good self-care skills. Indoors and outdoors, children have lots of opportunities to explore safely in an inviting learning environment. They help themselves to toys from a wide variety and enjoy a range of e...xperiences.

Children are encouraged to be curious and enjoy opportunities to investigate. They work out how to release plastic dinosaurs frozen in ice. They use different air sources to keep feathers floating.

Staff encourage children to develop a keen interest in stories. Toddlers listen intently to a book read by a staff member dressed in a teddy bear outfit. Older children laugh as they re-enact a favourite story.

They walk through a tray of squelchy mud and use spray foam to create a swirling snowstorm as they hunt for a bear.The leadership team recognise the impact of recent closures on children and staff. They have designed the curriculum to focus on developing children's social and communication skills to a good level.

They promote the emotional well-being of children and staff in a range of thoughtful ways. For example, they have developed a sensory room with lights and calming music for children and staff to use. Staff encourage children to recognise their emotions and to talk about how they feel.

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

Staff regularly review children's progress, particularly when they return following an absence. They include information from parents. This helps staff to maintain a clear view of what children know and can do and what they need to learn next.

Staff work well with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Their collaborative approach helps those involved to share information and work together in a consistent way to help each child make good progress.Leaders think carefully about the knowledge and skills that children need as they move through the nursery and on to school.

Staff plan experiences to help children build on their previous learning. However, sometimes, resources are not well matched to children's age and ability to help them gain the most from the group activities.A varied range of support, including quality advisors and bespoke training, helps to support the professional development of staff.

However, there are a number of staff who are new to their roles. They have not had opportunity to benefit from the effective supervision arrangements. Staff are not currently sharing their knowledge and skills to learn from each other's good practice to help develop the quality of education.

Children's physical skills are developing well. The morning 'wake up, shake up' exercises help children to get ready for their day. Children know that the physical activities get their heart muscle working.

In contrast, yoga exercises help children to feel calm and develop a sense of well-being.Children are prepared well for starting school and later learning. Staff thoughtfully use photographs of local school buildings and uniforms to help children to talk about starting school.

Children behave and concentrate well and are becoming independent learners.Children enjoy a wide range of sensory experiences, which help to develop the muscles in their hands needed for later writing. They run their fingers through flour, foam and paint and freely paint and draw with pens, pencils and chalk.

Children practise making marks as they run toy trucks through different cereals.The views of children, parents and staff are used to evaluate the provision and make improvements. Parents provide their views using online systems and questionnaires.

Older children's views are gained through council meetings.Staff frequently introduce new words to children and encourage them to use descriptive and mathematical language. Children talk about not being able to go over or under the long, wavy grass as they step on wooden blocks to go through the pretend forest.

Staff recognise that children are less able to get out in the community, due to the restrictions of the pandemic. They display photographs of children's family members on the wall and in books accessible in the reading area. Some of the photographs show parents in uniform, which children use to talk about different occupations.

This is one of the ways staff help children to learn about people and communities beyond their own.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Staff have recently refreshed their understanding of child protection and wider safeguarding issues.

They have clear procedures to report child protection concerns, which are in line with the local authority procedures. Appropriate records are kept if a child arrives with an injury and of any accidents which happen at the nursery. Risk assessments are carried out to ensure the environment, indoors and outdoors, is safe and suitable for children.

Closed circuit television helps the management team to monitor who is at the front door and the practice in each room. Staff deploy themselves to meet the needs of children and ensure their safety. Where relevant, parents are involved in these decisions.

Staff help children to learn about identifying and minimising risks. They talk to children about safety, for example how to use the stairs safely.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: support newer staff members to develop as a team and share their good skills to build on the quality of education focus more carefully on children's abilities and what you want them to learn, to help children gain the most from group activities.