Kindred Islington

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children are happy to attend nursery. Older children demonstrate their independence as they hang up their coats in the lobby when they arrive.

Babies separate easily from parents and settle quickly into the daily routine. Children have access to a wide range of resources. This supports them to use their imagination and creativity.

Children have plenty of opportunities to read books and develop their artistic skills throughout the day. Staff have high expectations of all children. They adapt activities effectively to meet each child's next steps in learning.

Staff encourage children to be kind and considerate. ...Babies learn to share and older children develop their social skills. Staff set a good example of positive behaviour.

For example, staff help children resolve conflicts by giving children the words they need to express their feelings. Children form positive attachments with the staff who care for them. Babies get plenty of warm hugs and reassurance when they are upset.

Children develop strong bonds with their peers. Many children start to attend the nursery as babies. They get to know their friends well as they grow and learn together.

Children acquire the skills and independence they need for the next stage in their learning, including starting school.

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

The manager maintains good relationships with parents and other local agencies. The nursery signposts parents to a range of activities and services in the local area.

Staff encourage parents and children to borrow books from a lending library in the lobby. This helps parents to continue children's learning journey at home and in the wider community.The nursery has limited outside space.

Children take daily trips to local parks where they can extend their physical skills. Sometimes, children take the train to visit the woods where they learn new skills, such as climbing and collecting natural resources. This supports children's understanding of the natural environment.

Staff use the trips to and from the nursery as an opportunity to teach children about road safety. Children put on their coats and bright high-visibility vests. They hold hands in pairs as they walk and follow instruction well.

This contributes to children's understanding of their personal safety.Staff say they are happy at the nursery and work well as a team. The manager encourages staff to contribute ideas and make changes.

This supports the continuous development of the nursery. However, there are not enough opportunities to help staff develop their teaching practice. Monitoring is not yet sufficiently focused on improving the quality of teaching.

Some staff, particularly relief staff, lack confidence in their teaching practice. This means teaching is not always of a consistently high quality and some children lose interest during adult-led activities.There has been a positive impact from recent changes in the pre-school room.

Staff in this room focus on using children's interests to extend their learning and introduce new topics. For example, staff creatively use children's interest in the police to introduce more 'people who help us'. This approach helps children to develop their interests and engage their curiosity.

Children learn about healthy eating. The cook accommodates allergies and dietary preferences with ease. Food is appetising and healthy.

Children sit together to eat. Staff use this as an opportunity to promote social mealtimes. They encourage children to try new foods.

This supports children's understanding of how to stay healthy.The manager has up-to-date policies and procedures in place which reflect current guidance. Staff say they feel comfortable talking to the manager when they are unsure.

Children behave well at nursery. Staff help children to gain confidence and form friendships. Children learn to be polite and say 'please' and 'thank you'.

They are conscious of their safety. They walk in the nursery and climb the stairs with care. This helps to maintain a calm and orderly environment.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The manager has a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. She ensures that staff know who to contact should they have any concerns about the welfare of a child.

Staff receive safeguarding training through the local authority. Staff conduct regular risk assessments of the premises and outings to maintain a safe environment. Staff and children practise regular fire drills.

This ensures children in the upstairs rooms know how to leave the building calmly and safely. The manager has robust procedures in place to check the suitability of staff at recruitment.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen monitoring and focus more precisely on raising the quality of practice even further nensure group activities consistently provide the highest level of support and challenge to maintain children's interest.