Abacus Day Care Limited

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders have a sound understanding of their local area and the needs and different circumstances of the families they serve. They are committed to ensuring all children and families are provided with help where needed. For example, leaders have developed positive partnerships with external agencies, the local authority and outreach support to provide families with advice and guidance where needed. They offer personalised support to reduce barriers and ensure all children access activities. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning are provided with individualised support to help them make positive progress from their starting points. For example, leaders use funding effectively to purchase specialist resources to help children listen and communicate. Children who were unable to move independently when they started now demonstrate confidence when navigating space. Leaders ensure that staff understand the graduated approach and recognise that for some children, progress is measured in smaller steps. Staff are ambitious for all children and they work hard to ensure children are ready for their next stage in learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the quality of the curriculum and where they can support staff to enhance what they offer. For example, leaders are committed to ensuring staff access training and support to improve their practice and skills. They prioritise support for staff to take additional qualifications to improve knowledge and understanding. For example, staff encourage children's learning and understanding. Children enjoy learning about different colours during a matching game and learning about shapes when exploring play dough. However, at times, not all staff recognise when they could extend activities to further support children's developing mathematical understanding.

Staff prioritise children's language and literacy skills effectively. Babies enjoy joining listening to rhymes, supporting their engagement and focus. Older children choose stories from the 'book swap' shelf to take home, which promotes a love of reading. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are provided with pictures to help their understanding successfully. Staff are patient and calm in their approach, supporting children's personal and social skills effectively. Staff ensure the curriculum benefits children's physical skills. For example, babies enjoy exploring soft play to help them to climb and balance. Older children use cutlery with skill, demonstrating confidence and coordination.

Leaders ensure staff tailor their teaching to individual needs. They reflect on assessment processes to ensure they match children's changing needs and identify specific progress. Although this is yet to be fully embedded in terms of mathematical learning, leaders are committed to ensuring staff support all children's next steps effectively.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children are provided with activities and experiences to help support them to develop age-appropriate skills across all areas of the curriculum. Children learn about their friends and their different families successfully. This supports their understanding of others and their local community. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have tailored support to enable them to make positive progress from their starting points. For example, children develop their communication skills effectively, learning to hold conversations and to make their needs known successfully.

Children develop positive bonds with their key persons, who know their children well and help families access a range of external expertise to help reduce barriers to children's learning. This ensures children receive the necessary support to reach developmental milestones successfully. Children develop into confident communicators and are suitably prepared for their next learning stage effectively. For example, children develop firm friendships, developing positive personal and social skills. They demonstrate that they know and understand the rules and routines of the setting well to support them when they transition to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children demonstrate that they know the rules and routines well. For example, older children put bowls and cups away and empty rubbish into bins after mealtimes. Younger children know to put their own things away. These activities help children develop independence skills successfully. Where needed, staff support children to understand how their behaviour impacts on others. Staff are gentle and patient. Older children comfort their friends, demonstrating that they learn how to treat others with kindness and care.

Staff have high expectations for children. They are positive role models, promoting good manners. As a result, children are polite and follow instructions. All children behave well. Leaders have worked hard to establish a positive environment. They recognise the challenges they have faced and ensure children and families remain at the heart of what they do. They promote an inclusive and respectful environment where all families are welcome. Staff support families to attend, offering flexible sessions to ensure children's attendance is regular. This supports children's understanding of the routines of the setting successfully.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children are successfully supported to develop self-care skills. For example, babies learn to feed themselves using spoons, developing their confidence and coordination skills. Older children learn to use the toilet independently and to wash and wipe their hands. This supports children's independence and understanding of how to keep themselves healthy. Staff prioritise children's understanding of oral health. Staff access funding to supply all children with their own toothbrushes, supporting their knowledge and understanding. Older children excitedly look forward to receiving their own toothbrushes and to starting a regular toothbrushing routine at the setting. These activities support children to learn to manage their own personal care needs successfully.

Leaders work closely with families to support understanding of healthy eating. For example, children and families are given advice on healthy lunch boxes and appreciate the help to learn about different colours on food packets. For example, older children identify that a 'red' label is not the healthiest option when choosing snacks, and that this means foods are high in fat. Children learn that 'green' indicates a healthier choice, supporting their understanding further. This supports children's knowledge of healthier foods effectively and helps them develop healthy habits for the future.

Relationships between staff and children are warm and responsive. This supports children's emotional wellbeing successfully, and as a result, children manage their own emotions. They are confident to ask for support from trusted staff. Routines are embedded and children learn to keep themselves healthy and safe. For example, children know to put their coats and boots on when going outside, to keep them safe in the rain.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders recognise the journey they have been on and the significant changes to the leadership and governance of the setting. They are positive and proactive about the future and are committed to ensuring children and families receive high standards of care and education. For example, leaders identify that they could strengthen ideas for parents to ensure families know how to support further their children's learning at home. Leaders have effective plans to ensure improvements are swift and effective. For example, they have identified that information-sharing with parents about how to further support learning at home could be strengthened and have plans to do this imminently. They also recognise that, at times, staff need further support to extend children's mathematical understanding. Leaders are in the process of prioritising these areas to further benefit staff's practice and impact children's learning and development.

Leaders access effective local authority support to ensure they continue to offer quality care and education and prioritise the right areas for development. For example, staff attend training sessions on understanding children's special educational needs. This helps them understand how to meet children's individual needs most effectively. Leaders ensure staff feel valued and monitor their workloads appropriately. Staff appreciate the support they receive and the positive vision the new nominated individuals have for the setting.