Acorn Day Nursery (Sharnbrook)

Inclusion: Strong standard

All children demonstrate a strong sense of belonging at this warm and inclusive setting. Staff provide a safe and highly supportive environment for all children to learn and develop. They swiftly identify and successfully recognise that the barriers children face can be complex. Leaders and staff use their secure knowledge and detailed understanding of each child to plan individualised support. This includes holding regular discussions with parents and other professionals. Staff fully understand the importance of creating an accessible, adaptable environment to enhance children's sense of belonging. They are very skilled at adapting their teaching to ensure all children access the curriculum and feel included in the daily routines.

Leaders and staff have access to training to further extend their knowledge and expertise to best support children with gaps in their learning and development. They ensure decisions about additional funding, including for disadvantaged children, are focused on what individual children need. For example, visual aids and sensory resources have been purchased to support children's language skills, confidence, and emotional wellbeing. This helps to remove barriers to learning, supports children with specific needs and enables all children to make excellent progress and reach their full potential.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders and staff work hard to provide all children, including children who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, with a well-sequenced and high-quality curriculum. This effectively supports the foundations for children's learning and progress. Staff successfully implement the intended curriculum and consistently apply it in their highly effective teaching, while ensuring the unique needs of each child are met. They robustly monitor children's progress, successfully using assessment to understand what children know, can do and need to learn next. Staff actively join in the children's play and use their skilful teaching to build on children's prior knowledge and interests. High priority is given to children's emotional wellbeing and physical development.

Staff use the outdoors and nature extremely well. They support children to develop their coordination, agility, core strength and fine motor skills. Staff demonstrate how to use twigs as paint brushes and help children to make bug hotels. This develops children's design skills and provides opportunities to learn about insects. Staff build dens with the children and support younger children to dig for worms in the mud. Communication and language is weaved throughout the curriculum. Babies respond with gestures and sound to the staff's calm, familiar voices. Staff successfully commentate on what the children are interested in, or doing. For example, babies playing with the mud and water are introduced to new words, such as 'squeeze' and 'splash'. Staff frequently share story books and sing rhymes with children to further support their language development.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children develop a secure sense of belonging within the setting due to the receptive care they receive. Every child can access a wide range of learning opportunities. Children make excellent progress across all areas of the curriculum. They become confident learners who are very well prepared for transitions across the nursery, including moving on to school. All children, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, become emersed in their play and show high levels of engagement. For example, children learn to use age-appropriate cutlery as they transition across the nursery. Younger children explore key concepts, such as early mathematics, as they explore interestingly shaped wooden objects. Additionally, they learn to count; staff throughout the nursery regularly incorporate the counting sequence as children play. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, make rapid progress in their communication and language development. Ongoing interactions from an early age form secure foundations for children's language and cognitive development.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children are confident, motivated and show consistently positive attitudes to their learning. They show elevated levels of curiosity, concentration and enjoyment. Children follow daily routines and respond to instructions extremely well. Children demonstrate high levels of resilience and perseverance in their play and learning. They demonstrate increasing confidence in tackling new challenges. For example, staff provide equipment for babies to practise their developing walking and climbing skills. Babies smile and demonstrate pride when they successfully climb the steps of appropriately-sized equipment. Older children keep trying as they cross ropes suspended between the trees.

Leaders and staff establish a positive environment and are excellent role models. They embed commonly understood, high expectations for behaviour according to a child's age and stage of development across the setting. Children confidently show their understanding of why behaviour rules are in place and recognise the impact their behaviour has on others. Children's behaviour is exemplary. They demonstrate that they know the importance of playing cooperatively together, taking their turn and being kind to their friends. Staff and children show high levels of respect for one another. Relationships throughout the nursery are caring. Leaders prioritise the importance of children's attendance, and this is carefully monitored. This is successful in ensuring that any barriers to attendance are swiftly identified and actioned accordingly. As a result, children have consistently positive attitudes to their learning and to each other.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing is given high priority across the nursery. Robust settling-in procedures, including home visits, successfully support leaders and staff to build strong partnerships with parents and carers. Consequently, leaders and staff are highly responsive to children's varying needs and any changing circumstances. Staff create an extremely welcoming, nurturing and respectful setting where children thrive and develop positive relationships with staff. Staff implement an effective key-person system and know the children very well. This supports children's emotional wellbeing and ensures care and learning is tailored to each child's unique needs.

Children confidently follow consistent daily routines. From a young age, children demonstrate increasing independence, selecting resources and activities for themselves and completing requested tasks. For example, young children know that they place their used tissues in the bin. Staff implement secure care practices which are highly effective in supporting children's emotional security, safety and dignity. Leaders ensure children's allergies and dietary preferences are managed well by all staff. Staff understand the importance of careful feeding routines and weaning to ensure babies' individual needs are adhered to. Staff fully support all children to understand that physical development, oral health and personal safety are fundamental to their overall health, learning and wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

The enthusiastic, proactive leader inspires the staff team to provide carefully tailored care and planned learning opportunities for all children. This includes children who face barriers to their learning. Leaders and staff quickly identify when children need help and intervene swiftly. Leaders strive to achieve continuous improvement and maintain high standards. They frequently reflect on the layout of the environment to ensure it meets the children's needs. Professional development is given high priority. Leaders regularly monitor the quality of teaching, offering targeted support and training to ensure high standards are maintained. Staff speak extremely positively about the leadership team. They feel valued and motivated.

Leaders and staff proactively work in partnership with parents and other professionals to secure the best education and care for their children. Parents also receive tips and advice regarding aspects, such as potty training and healthy eating. A recipe book of the children's favourite meals is shared with parents. Leaders develop secure links with the local community. For example, children visit a local care home, interacting with other adults and sharing experiences. Additionally, leaders successfully motivate staff and children to participate in initiatives which focus on environmental awareness, sustainability, and recycling. This has resulted in the setting being recognised and receiving awards for their eco-friendly approach.