Abington Annexe Community Childcare

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders are attentive to ensuring that all children feel included. They learn about each child's needs and interests by talking with parents and carers and observing children's daily interactions. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, staff collaborate closely with families to provide extra support for activities. Staff also receive training to meet children's health requirements.

There is an effective partnership between leaders, staff and the schools the children attend. This allows staff to monitor children's progress and adjust support as needed to keep it consistent and effective. This teamwork helps children to feel connected and fosters a sense of belonging.

Leaders review evidence about children's progress to make informed decisions on the use of additional funding, ensuring that support is purposeful. Leaders respond to recommendations from the school and follow these in practice to support children's targets.

Leaders' use of funding has a positive impact on reducing barriers to learning. For example, they arranged sports sessions for less-confident children to broaden their experiences and deepen understanding of the world. This significantly boosts children's self-confidence, particularly for disadvantaged children.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate ambition in designing the curriculum, placing particular emphasis on supporting children's personal, social and emotional development. Staff assess children's starting points in development. They tailor teaching so that every child makes steady progress. Staff select resources and activities carefully, using repetition to secure children's knowledge before introducing new skills.

Staff support all children with communication aids, such as visual cards. They introduce vocabulary through engaging activities, story times and rhymes. For example, staff facilitate discussions with children about their feelings and emotions using emotion cards, exploring what contributes to happiness and sadness.

Key persons support children's health and growing independence. They build trusting and nurturing relationships with each child. They approach children with gentleness and care, ensuring that each interaction promotes a sense of security. During daily activities, staff engage children through singing, talking and gentle physical contact, such as cuddles, which help to sooth and relax them. This attentive and responsive care helps children to feel confident and secure in their environment and fosters deep attachments.

Staff extend children's thinking with open questions, such as asking what they think they need to make flippers. Staff encourage children to use their imaginations to make flippers and prompt them to consider what resources and materials they will need. When children make their choices, staff quickly provide the selected resources, supporting children's independence, confidence and creative thinking. Staff encourage children to develop their physical skills through active play, including running, climbing and balancing, when playing outdoors.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known to children's social care and those who face other barriers to learning achieve well from their starting points. They make evident progress in their learning. Children develop well and show motivation to learn. They confidently share their thoughts and ideas with others and explore the setting confidently. Children communicate their pride to staff when they manage something. They learn to keep trying, developing resilience and perseverance.

Children demonstrate secure levels of engagement in activities. This helps children to become ready for school. Children show a clear interest in writing their names, which they proudly display on the wall and share with the primary school teacher. This recognition helps children to feel proud of their achievements.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children are enthusiastic about exploring and socialising with their peers. The environment is welcoming and engaging, offering various age-appropriate activities that support their development. Children develop problem-solving and matching skills through large floor puzzles. They take pride in their completed work and enjoy sharing their achievements with staff by having photos taken.

Leaders encourage regular attendance and punctuality so children can continuously enhance their knowledge and abilities. If needed, they explain why this is important to parents. Leaders have introduced new systems to promote punctuality and attendance. This has had a positive impact in ensuring that children receive their full educational entitlement.

Staff model polite and respectful communication and praise positive behaviour. This helps children to develop their social skills, such as cooperation, sharing and friendship. Staff are positive role models.

Staff implement routines and behaviour strategies to provide children with emotional support. This helps children to develop secure attachments and increases their confidence. Children frequently seek reassurance from trusted adults when they feel uncertain, demonstrating the positive impact of these approaches. However, some routines and behaviour strategies are not fully effective for all children, as staff do not ensure that every child consistently understands the expectations or follows the routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders create a safe and warm welcoming space at the nursery. This helps parents and carers to feel part of a community. Children are happy to play, learn and build social relationships indoors and outdoors.

The key-person approach is implemented effectively to support children's emotional wellbeing. For example, staff have check-in conversations with children to understand their feelings and factors affecting them. Staff provide parents and carers with feedback about their children's progress. They support parents to have the knowledge to help their children at home. For example, staff make a lending library and activity packs available for parents to use at home. Staff actively support children to engage with the local community by visiting the mobile library, enabling them to borrow books which are then shared with the setting, fostering a lifelong love of reading.

Staff supervise all children closely to promote their safety. For example, they sit with children while they eat and remind them to stay sitting on their chairs to help avoid choking. Children benefit from healthy and nutritious food. They follow hygiene routines, including washing their hands before eating. Staff talk to children about healthy options to help them recognise better choices. Children benefit from regular time outdoors,

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

There have been significant changes to the senior management team recently, and leaders have responded swiftly and effectively by identifying new roles for staff. Leaders have taken on additional responsibilities, as well as completing training to enhance their own practice. Leaders take a reflective approach and are dedicated to providing high-quality learning experiences and environments for children. They set clear plans with well-defined priorities. This ensures a steady focus on the ongoing development of the provision.

Leaders and staff develop positive relationships with parents and carers. Parents very much value the daily chats and regular meetings to keep them up to date on all that their children are doing. Partnerships with the primary school that children will transition to are valued and fostered. This focuses on offering joined-up working to consistently meet the needs of each child.

Leaders ensure that staff have regular supervision sessions. Staff are supported through regular professional development, which maintains practice and contributes to improvements. Leaders provide training opportunities for staff, which helps to improve practice and ensure that children receive appropriate support in the setting. Leaders ensure that children benefit from regular community outings, including visits to the local post office café, helping them to access experiences they might not have otherwise.