Kindred Cheshunt

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy, settled and leave their carers with ease. They enjoy a stimulating range of activities and experiences across all areas of learning that help broaden their knowledge and build on their interests and what they already know.

Children have daily opportunities for outdoor play. They join in with games and experiences that engage them. For example, younger children join staff on a 'bear hunt' as they explore the outside area with interest.

Older children develop their physical skills as they enjoy parachute games. Young babies explore their own outdoor area and develop good coordination using musical ins...truments. Children behave well and develop firm friendships with children and staff.

Children show care and concern for each other. For example, during a construction activity, older children take turns with the tools. When children are unable to do something, other children step in to help.

This demonstrates the positive attitudes children have and the kindness they show. Babies show that they feel safe and secure. They smile happily and hold up their arms for staff to pick them up.

Babies cuddle into staff and staff respond warmly. Staff sing to young children as, for example, they change nappies and carry out other care routines. This good-quality care supports children's personal, social and emotional development.

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

Despite the COVID-19 restrictions in place, resulting in parents not going into the nursery, the manager and staff team ensure that they keep parents fully informed. They provide regular updates to parents about their children's day and well-being. Furthermore, staff share photos with parents.

This helps parents to talk to their children about what they are doing at nursery and extend their learning at home.Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities very well. They demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of each child's individual needs and specific requirements.

Staff's ongoing relationships and collaborative working with other professionals are effective in meeting children's needs. As a result, the interaction, support and reasonable adjustments made improve children's daily care and education.Children are busy and active.

They engage in interesting experiences, such as bug hunting and looking at nature with staff. Children are inquisitive and listen attentively to staff as together they explore the outside areas where insects live. However, on occasions, children do not have enough time to think about how to respond to questions and comments from staff.

Partnerships with parents are strong and parents speak highly of the staff team. Staff promote daily communication with parents and offer feedback, both verbally and as part of their online daily diary system. Additional measures have recently been implemented to support children's communication and language development.

For example, children take books home from the nursery lending library, to enjoy with their parents. This system encourages parental feedback. This helps to promote a two-way approach to improving children's speech and language, in light of the time some children have had away from the nursery.

Young children develop an enjoyment of books and stories. Babies show excitement and anticipation in their facial expressions, of what comes next, during favourite stories. Staff support children to develop new words and language in everyday activities.

However, some staff do not always extend opportunities for young children who are bilingual or speak English as an additional language, to best develop their English language.The manager is effective in promoting opportunities for staff to develop their continuous professional development. Regular supervision and appraisals enable staff to identify their own strengths and areas for improvement.

The manager and staff team evaluate their nursery to promote continuous improvement. They regularly reflect on activities, experiences they plan and feedback they receive from parents, to help them promote continuous improvement.Staff understand and meet children's care needs well.

They respect children's need for privacy, and balance this well with ensuring that their welfare is promoted. Staff take time to ensure that children are ready for their nappy change and are aware of what is happening. During mealtimes, staff sit with children and support them to learn about appropriate manners and good health.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager provides opportunities for staff to undertake regular safeguarding training to keep the children in their care safe. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge and awareness of wider safeguarding issues.

They have an effective understanding of their responsibility to protect the children in their care. Staff know what to do if they identify concerns that may indicate children are at risk and they know the professionals they must report concerns to. Staff recruitment is robust.

The manager follows effective procedures to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children. This includes monitoring staff's ongoing suitability.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen opportunities for the youngest bilingual children, and those who speak English as an additional language, to reach an excellent standard of English language nallow children enough time to think and respond to questions during play and discussions.