Smart Kids Childcare

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children arrive full of smiles and are excited to see the staff and their friends. Children settle quickly and engage in meaningful play and activities.

Children display high levels of self-confidence and self-esteem. Older children confidently greet new people and are happy to talk to them about their experiences at nursery. For example, children proudly describe their own unique features in their self-portrait painting.

In addition, they talk in detail about their weekly bus journey to their swimming lesson and which part of the lesson they like the best. Babies have strong bonds with staff. They quickly seek them ou...t for comfort and reassurance when unfamiliar people enter the room.

Children of all ages love books. Babies snuggle up with staff to enjoy a familiar story. Toddlers handle books carefully and enjoy finding and pointing to the characters on the pages.

Pre-school children independently choose a favourite book and find a friend to share it with. They talk about the book together, sharing turning the pages and asking each other questions, such as 'what do you think will happen next'. When they have finished reading the book, they place it back on the bookshelf.

This demonstrates that children understand what is expected of them and that they have respect for others.Most children continued to attend during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff are aware that children have had limited experiences, such as mixing with others and opportunities to develop their large and small physical skills.

Children take part in activities, such as dance and drama. These help children to develop skills, such as balance and coordination and help them increase their confidence in different social situations.

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

The nursery management team is highly qualified and experienced.

The newly appointed manager has worked closely with the whole staff team and parents since the last inspection. Together they have made positive changes that benefit children and their families the most. Staff attend some useful training and are given the opportunity to bring their own ideas that bring about further improvements.

As a result, their practice and the educational programme at the nursery are much improved. That said, staff have not yet received enough individualised and targeted support to raise the quality of their practice to the highest levels across the nursery.Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children.

This includes those children who are funded and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with other agencies involved in children's care and learning to design and implement targeted learning plans. These are regularly reviewed and support children's next steps well.

All children make good progress from their starting points and gain the skills needed for future learning. Regular and precise information is shared with parents about their child's learning and development. This further supports children's continued good progress.

Staff place a sharp focus on helping children to develop good literacy skills. Babies and toddlers develop their hand muscles as they grasp tulips and use these to make marks with paint. Older children recognise familiar letters and words and write with purpose.

For example, as they write letters to staff, they sound out words phonetically. This helps them to correctly spell the word they wish to write. Children confidently write familiar words, such as their own name and the names of staff.

Children develop well in mathematics because staff seize opportunities to extend children's understanding. For example, outside, older children roll a large inflatable dice and then count the number of spots as it lands. They then jump the correct number of times into a puddle.

Babies and toddlers enjoy singing number songs and rhymes and complete simple jigsaws with support from staff.Children are confident communicators. Staff model words well, for example, as children plant seeds they use words, such as 'press, prod' and 'poke'.

This supports children's growing vocabulary.Children relish the opportunity to share their 'chatterboxes' with staff, visitors and their friends. Children chose photos and items from home from their own boxes.

They talk vividly about their home lives and families. They demonstrate tolerance and respect for each other. For example, they wait their turn to speak, listen attentively and carefully handle the possessions of others.

Children eat healthily and good systems are in place to support children who have special dietary requirements. Staff share useful information with parents about supporting children's good eating habits at home.Staff encourage children to make some independent choices.

For instance, children choose what fruit and drink they would like for snack. However, the way in which staff organise some activities and routine times of the day, does not support children to build on their existing skills. For example, staff step in too quickly to help children solve problems and do not re-shape activities quickly enough, to enable children to follow their own ideas and thinking.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders and staff have a secure understanding of their roles and responsibilities to safeguard children. They know the action to take should they have a concern about a colleague or the nursery owner.

Children learn to keep themselves safe. For example, as they scale the climbing equipment outside, staff remind them to hold on. Children then remind their friends to do the same.

The nursery is safe and secure. Recruitment and vetting procedures are robustly implemented.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: provide more opportunities during activities for children to explore their own thinking and ideas nembed staff coaching and supervision to help staff raise the quality of education to the highest levels.

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