Kindred Odstock

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is outstanding

Children of all ages are deeply engaged in their play and learning. Staff design activities to maximise children's enjoyment and enhance their development. Babies practise balancing skills by walking across beams and build grip strength as they learn to climb ladders.

Young children investigate the properties of materials by pouring rice onto different objects. Children's curiosity leads them to explore the various sounds they can make. Children enjoy constructing funnels and tunnels with staff to conjure up more elaborate ways of pouring rice.

Older children draw detailed pictures and independently write letter...s with meaningful marks. They make their own play dough and investigate what happens if they add more or less water. Staff introduce children to a range of sensory resources that they add to their play dough creations.

This inspires children to use new words they have learned to describe the colours, smells and textures of their models. Children are proud of their designs and achievement.Children feel emotionally secure and feel at home.

All children quickly grow in confidence and independence. Right from the start, staff encourage the youngest children to start putting on their coats and wellies by themselves. Older children have a positive attitude to learning and enthusiastically join in songs in preparation for their nativity performance.

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

Leaders design a clear, ambitious curriculum for all children of all ages. They have carefully considered what children need to learn to make progress and be ready for the next stages of their development. Leaders work closely with staff to inspire excellence and implement their vision.

All staff expertly extend and broaden children's vocabulary by following the setting's mantra, 'always one more'. They repeat back children's responses and include extra new words that children learn and enjoy using in their play.Leaders accurately evaluate the quality of provision.

They persistently look for ways to improve experiences for children and develop staff expertise. They support and inspire staff, who continually plan enhancements to children's play and learning so that they make rapid progress.Leaders ensure that children adore books.

Staff encourage babies to choose their own storybooks. They independently look through pictures, and staff enthusiastically read to them. Staff plan story activities with babies to teach them to notice fun sounds and words.

Older children love spending time reading their favourite stories. Staff have meaningful conversations about books, enhancing children's understanding of what they have read.Staff have a strong understanding of the purpose of the activities that they provide for children.

Children experience an extensive range of learning experiences that build on their prior knowledge and skills. For example, staff support children to build a strong foundational understanding of key mathematical concepts by exploring numbers and shapes in their play. Staff skilfully introduce rich mathematical vocabulary while children play.

Children enjoy using these new words as they explore and examine tactile, colourful shapes enhanced by a light box.Staff are excellent role models to children. They establish strong bonds with the youngest children by respecting them as individuals and giving them their full attention.

Babies feel safe and emotionally secure, knowing that staff are always there to respond to their needs. All children behave exceptionally well. Babies learn to wash their hands and patiently wait their turn while older children negotiate differences of opinion and play harmoniously together.

Staff identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with precision. Staff know children's individual needs well. They work closely with parents to thoroughly understand particular needs and keep them informed of children's progress.

Staff work with external agencies to seek the appropriate support children need, and they act quickly to ensure that they make rapid progress to catch up with their peers.Staff build strong partnerships with parents. Parents say that staff 'inject each day with a sprinkle of awe and wonder'.

They describe how excited their children are to bring books home to enjoy reading with them. Parents contribute to enhancing children's knowledge and understanding of the world by sharing dances from different cultures or by providing fun rugby coaching sessions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The setting has a strong understanding of its role to help keep children safe. All staff are confident to recognise signs of risk that could cause children harm. They have robust recording procedures, and leaders make sure that staff prioritise the safety of the children in their care.

Staff know who to contact if they have a concern. Leaders implement training and policies from the 'Prevent' duty to inspire a philosophy of respect and care among children, so that they learn to value and understand the differences between themselves and others. Leaders follow safer recruitment procedures to ensure they appoint suitable staff.