Kids Play Childcare Hub

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children follow a curriculum that promotes their independence and curiosity. They explore the activities with a sense of interest and excitement. All children make good progress in their development.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make particularly significant gains in their learning. Children are starting to problem-solve and explore what interests them. They develop knowledge and skills for their future lives.

For example, during forest-school activities, children learn to use tools such as peelers to create pencils from sticks. Staff skilfully teach them how to hold peelers and peel away... from their hands to keep themselves safe. They go on to use these skills in their cooking activities.

Children learn about nurture, empathy and care when they look after the nursery pets. Staff encourage children to gently touch and talk to the animals, so they learn about being kind. Children know what guinea pigs and rabbits like to eat.

In turn, this helps them to learn about their own healthy eating. Children develop an understanding of how they are unique. For example, staff help children to learn about the range of languages they speak and children enjoy listening to stories which staff and parents read to them in different languages.

All children's behaviour is consistently good. Staff explain to children about their emotions and give them time to work through their feelings. Activities such as yoga help to boost children's emotional well-being.

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

Children explore natural resources eagerly. For example, they use sticks to squeeze and grip petals and leaves together, and they show good hand-eye coordination as they transfer them into pots. Children solve problems, such as changing their grip on the sticks to increase their control.

Leaders have an inspiring and ambitious curriculum. Overall, they communicate this well to the staff team. However, newer members of staff are less confident in how to implement the curriculum.

At times, newer staff supervise children rather than boosting their learning.The nursery is inclusive and welcoming. Staff undertake extensive training and work very closely with families to learn all about children.

Consequently, staff are highly skilled in meeting children's physical, emotional and medical needs. This creates an environment where all children are able to succeed and make good progress.Staff at the nursery are encouraging new ways of promoting children's independence.

However, senior staff recognise that, currently, this is not fully effective during the lunchtime routine. Children spend time waiting as they are unsure what staff expect from them, and some staff are not confident in how best to support children.Babies and children form close attachments to their key people.

Staff know when children need extra time to settle, and they ensure that children and parents are confident to separate from each other. This helps children to feel secure and settled at the nursery.Staff are responsive, caring and attentive to young babies and their needs.

They maintain eye contact during bottle feeding and talk to children in a soothing voice. In response, babies are starting to babble and wave as they interact with those around them. Staff communicate well with children and this helps them to learn to talk.

Older children are confident in expressing themselves and their needs.The nursery leadership appreciates the importance of investing in the well-being of staff. This has a positive effect on staff, who report that they are happy and content in their role and have a good work-life balance.

Staff ensure that children have opportunities to experience risk and challenge as they play. This is particularly the case when they play outdoors. Children have extensive opportunities to balance, climb and explore the enticing activities available in the garden.

Staff supervise children closely and carry out thorough risk assessments to help minimise any potential risk.Parent engagement is excellent. Parents share their views and attend sessions where they can find out about what their children are learning and learn how to support them at home.

Parents value the suggestions staff give, and this helps them to manage challenging situations at home more confidently.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is a robust programme for safeguarding training.

Staff have regular refresher training to remain up to date and aware of local child protection issues. There is a rigorous procedure for recruitment of new staff to ensure that they are suitable for their role. Staff induction is effective in ensuring that staff know their responsibilities in relation to keeping children safe.

They understand how to identify any signs or symptoms that children might be at risk of harm. All staff are aware of who to report any concerns to and are fully aware of the role of the local safeguarding children partners.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: continue to develop and improve the lunch time routine to help promote children's independence and ensure that activities are purposeful and children are not waiting without engagement nimprove the knowledge and understanding of new staff in the pre-school rooms so they understand how to more effectively deliver the curriculum intent.