Kids Planet Bubbenhall

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision requires improvement Children are happy and safe. They enjoy the opportunities to play with their friends and have new experiences.

Staff provide children with nurturing interactions. Children and babies are beginning to form bonds with the new staff team. Leaders have taken all the necessary steps to address the staffing issues and support them in their roles.

However, the recent staff changes have interrupted children's education and experiences at the nursery, particularly for the babies and younger children. This said, older children thoroughly enjoy their time outdoors where they have a wide range of learning experiences that captivate t...heir imagination. They are sociable and play happily with their friends.

Although staff carry out careful risk assessment of the activities, they are relaxed and confident enough to allow children to play and learn in their preferred way. This includes jumping and riding balance bicycles through mud and filling up their wellington boots with water. They enjoy creating footprints with their wet feet.

Children also enjoy the quieter areas where they ask staff to read books with them.Children behave well and staff provide them with clear expectations. Children know about the boundaries when they play outdoors and staff supervise them well to keep them safe.

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

Leaders have implemented a comprehensive training programme for the recently appointed manager and new staff team. However, they need time to embed their roles and responsibilities, particularly those related to the key-person system and the education programmes. Staff report that they are well supported by the management team who have a high regard for their well-being.

Leaders ensure that all cover staff, including agency staff, understand their roles and responsibilities. They provide cover staff with effective induction to the nursery's policies and procedures. Leaders deploy staff effectively to meet the legal requirements relating to ratios and staff qualifications.

All children now have a consistent key person who is responsible for developing their learning programmes, to build secure relationships and work in partnership with parents. However, recent staffing issues left some children without a key person, which has hindered the progress that children can make. The new manager and staff are working extremely hard to establish relationships with children and develop bespoke planning for each child.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have benefitted from a consistent member of staff to over see their development.Key persons and staff working directly with children have the essential information about children to meet their needs. Staff working with babies know about their personal routines, such as when they sleep, and how they like to be comforted.

They know about children's health and dietary requirements and follow robust procedures to meet any allergy constraints. Staff implement effective hygiene routines.The new manager has a clear vision for children's education programmes and a progressive curriculum is in place.

Although staff know about child development, they are not fully secure in their knowledge of the curriculum. The manager is in the process of supporting the new staff team with their delivery of the curriculum.Staff support children to be independent and incorporate opportunities through the daily routine that encourage children to manage everyday tasks for themselves.

Babies learn to feed themselves with a spoon. Older children learn to pour drinks and serve their own food. Staff help two-year-old-children to understand about toileting and good hygiene routines.

However, staff working with babies do not plan the learning environment to ensure that babies are fully challenged and motivated to play, explore and make new discoveries.Children have respect for staff, children and visitors. Older children are excited to show the inspector their favourite parts of the nursery, such as the outdoor area and the climbing frame.

They are well mannered and say 'excuse me' when they make a request to staff.Parents comment on the recent staffing situation and how it has been an unsettling time for them and their children. However, they say how they have seen positive changes since the new manager started.

Staff work closely with parents of new children so they can get to know the children and their families.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders provide staff with thorough training, so they understand their responsibilities to keep children safe.

Staff confidently discuss the risk assessments they do in the different areas of the nursery and how to evacuate children in the event of a fire. A sufficient number of staff hold paediatric first-aid qualifications, and the manager ensures they are deployed effectively to keep children safe. Staff are familiar with the safeguarding policy and procedures.

Leaders and staff are alert to signs and symptoms that may indicate a child is at risk of harm and how to report these. Leaders follow robust recruitment procedures to check the suitability of staff.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: nembed the key-person system to secure and further develop the relationships for both children and parents continue to support all staff including the manager in their new roles to secure their practice, so they can provide all children with continuously good learning experiences continue to support staff with the implementation of the curriculum and planning for their key children so that staff can provide the children with good learning experiences support staff with planning the learning environment for babies, so this engages babies fully and provides them with ambitious learning experiences.