ABC Childcare Services Cheshire Ltd

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for all children's achievements. They support staff to assess children's learning using different assessment tools. This helps them to identify children that require help with their learning early on. Staff follow targeted support plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with other agencies involved with children to ensure that they get the right level of support needed. For example, they act on advice given by children's physiotherapists within the setting. This helps to reduce barriers to children's learning and development.

Leaders work closely with families that are known to social care. They make adjustments, such as to drop off and collection times, to help to promote children's regular attendance. Leaders ensure that families receive the support that they need. For example, they signpost families to additional, external support sessions tailored to their current requirements.

Leaders make appropriate use of additional funding to enhance children's experiences. For example, they use the funding for weekly movement sessions delivered by an external provider. Leaders reflect on the impact this has on children's physical development and confidence, Leaders do not always involve parents as fully as possible in deciding on the best possible use of funding.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders implement a varied curriculum that meets the needs of all children. Staff use consistent approaches across all age groups. For example, they use picture cards with children as they communicate. This helps children to develop their language skills and build confidence in their understanding of vocabulary.

Staff monitor children's learning closely. This helps them to identify any gaps in children's learning and areas to develop within teaching and delivery of the curriculum. For example, leaders recently identified that mathematics was an area that children needed more support. They have started to offer training to staff, purchased more resources and have focused teaching in this area. This is having a positive impact on children's development. Staff are beginning to introduce early mathematical concepts and ideas in an age-appropriate way.

Staff interact generally well with children. They follow children's interests and expand on their play ideas. For example, staff provide large-scale painting outdoors for children. They play alongside them, introducing new ideas. This helps children to develop a love for creative learning.

Staff promote children's communication and language skills well overall. They read stories to children that they enjoy and sing to children, teaching them the actions to songs. They offer opportunities for children whose home language is not English to hear and use their home language in the setting. This helps all children to feel included and helps to develop their language skills.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make sustained progress across all areas of learning. They develop language skills and become competent communicators. Babies babble and respond to staff's eye contact as they engage in two-way communication. Older children hold conversations around the lunch table with peers. They are developing conversational skills that will help to prepare them for school. Children develop early mathematical concepts and begin to use associated language. For example, as toddlers play with water, they tell staff that it is now empty and they need more. They are beginning to use the language that they have been taught in the right context. Children show that they are developing their finger and hand muscles, They hold tools carefully as they cut, roll and shape their play dough. They enjoy choosing different flowers and engage with staff as they discuss insects that might use the flowers, such as bumblebees. Children show an interest in nature and an understanding of the world. Children are well prepared for their next stage in learning. They ooze confidence and self-assurance. Children are inquisitive and friendly towards visitors. They show positive social skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders work closely with staff to monitor children's attendance. They work with families to help overcome any barriers that they may face. Parents comment positively about the invaluable support offered to them, such as altered drop off and collection procedures.

Staff provide younger children with seamless routines. For example, in preparation for outdoor play, they support children to change into their outdoor clothing. Children wait for their turn to be taken down the stairs to the garden. This leads to a calm atmosphere where children show that they are at ease. Routines, at times, lack the same planning for older children. For instance, staff ask children to leave group story sessions to wash their hands ready for lunch. Children then sit for extended periods as they wait at the table for their peers. This occasionally leads to children becoming restless. Children's behaviour across the setting is age- and stage-appropriate. They show kindness and enjoy helping their friends. For example, toddlers help others to find their belongings. Children develop positive social skills. They play together during activities and games and form friendships. Children enjoy helping with routines, such as tidying away toys and resources. They are happy and content.

Staff introduce the language of feelings as they play and read stories. For example, they model language, such as 'happy' and 'sad'. This helps children to express their emotions and manage their feelings and behaviour. Staff adapt their approach when working with individual children. For example, the use of picture cards help children with limited language skills to express themselves and develop their understanding.

Children engage well in activities. They maintain concentration as they manipulate dough and make patterns and shapes. They are proud of their achievements and enjoy holding up their creations to show others. Staff offer praise to children. Children gratefully receive this with smiles, and this helps to support their self-esteem.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Urgent improvement

Children's welfare and wellbeing is not assured. Leaders fail to understand how to implement safeguarding policies and procedures and do not ensure staff fully understand and follow risk assessments. For example, risk assessments in place for staff waiting for their suitability to be cleared are not robust, particularly around care routines. This means that children's safety and welfare is compromised.

The key-person system is well embedded. Staff are warm and caring towards children. Children form secure attachments from the start. They show that they feel at ease in the homely and welcoming setting. Babies care routines from home are followed. Staff are alert to the risks associated with sleep time and ensure that babies are closely monitored and safer sleep guidance is followed.

Staff teach children hygiene procedures. For example, children know the routine is to wash hands before they eat and they help themselves to tissues from the designated tissue station. Children brush their teeth and eat healthy foods. In addition, the nursery is clean and illness procedures are followed. This helps to support children's good health.

Leaders create a welcoming and stimulating environment for children. Children enjoy playing in small groups, indoors and outside where they interact with others. There is a homely feel throughout the setting. Dedicated spaces are planned to support children's wellbeing, such as smaller rooms for those children that require a smaller group to help them to feel settled and secure.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

The provider has not maintained adequate oversight of the setting. There are breaches of the early years foundation stage that could impact children's safety and welfare.

Leaders do not ensure that safer recruitment procedures are followed. They allow staff whose suitability has not been verified to start work and participate in children's intimate care routines. The risk to children is minimised as staff state that this is supervised, however, this is not in line with their safer recruitment risk assessment. Furthermore, leaders allow staff to work at the setting for a number of weeks without an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks being initiated. This does not assure children's safety and welfare.

The provider has not ensured those with lead responsibilities for safeguarding have attended training to enable them to carry out their roles and responsibilities. This means that they do not have the knowledge to ensure that safeguarding concerns about children are identified and followed up in line with their policies and procedures. When potential concerns are highlighted, they do not initiate their procedures. This means that children's safety is not assured.

Staff report that they enjoy working at the setting. They enjoy activities to support their wellbeing and their work is celebrated. Staff workload is manageable. Leaders arrange time away from children to be able to complete paperwork. This helps them to carry out their roles effectively.

Leaders work hard to build relationships with parents. Parents enjoy being invited into the setting to spend time with children, such as Mother's Day breakfasts. Daily communication via an app and face-to-face discussions help to ensure that a two-way flow of information about children is shared.

Leaders provide staff with regular training and supervision sessions. They observe their practice and provide staff with targets to help improve their teaching skills. This helps staff to reflect on their practice and helps them to become motivated to improve.