Activetime Day Nursery Kenton LTD

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have a strong commitment to inclusion and ensure that children who may face barriers to learning and wellbeing receive the support they need to make progress from their individual starting points. Leaders and staff know children extremely well and use ongoing assessment and information about their development to identify emerging needs early. They work closely with families and external professionals to plan targeted support that reflects each child's individual needs.

Parents speak highly of the setting's inclusive approach and the individualised support their children receive. They describe how staff understand their children's needs, adapt learning and work closely with families and external professionals. Parents value the practical support staff provide, including help with referrals and applications for education, health and care plans. They report that their children are making progress, developing new skills and becoming more confident. Parents also describe the setting as a lifeline, highlighting the support staff provide to the wider family.

Staff implement agreed strategies consistently and review their effectiveness. Visual prompts, now-and-next boards, familiar routines and adapted environments help children with SEND understand expectations, manage transitions and participate in learning. Staff also provide sensitive support when children experience sensory or food-related barriers, allowing them to engage at their own pace without being singled out.

Leaders ensure staff have the knowledge and skills to support children effectively and maintain highly effective oversight of children's progress. Staff respond sensitively to individual needs and make appropriate adjustments to reduce barriers. As a result, children who may face significant challenges are supported to engage, build confidence and make sustained progress from their individual starting points.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders design a clear and ambitious curriculum that reflects children's interests, strengths and stages of development. At the start of their time at the setting, staff gather detailed information from parents about what children already know and can do. They use this information, alongside ongoing assessment, to plan meaningful opportunities that build on children's learning. Leaders maintain highly effective oversight of the curriculum and ensure that teaching consistently meets the needs of all children.

Staff join children in their play and respond closely to their interests. For example, when children show an interest in touching real food at the sensory light table, staff encourage them to look at, touch and smell the food. This helps children explore sensory experiences while developing their physical skills. Teaching is highly responsive, and staff adapt their interactions to suit children's stages of development, continually building on previous experiences to deepen learning.

Staff provide purposeful opportunities for children to develop knowledge and skills across the areas of learning. Outside, children fill, empty, tip and pour water. Staff support them to explore what happens and solve problems as they work out how to move water between different heights on the water trough tray and discover which resources work best. Children build strength and coordination as they lift bowls above their heads and pour the water down the tunnels. Staff use modelling, questioning and clear language to extend children's thinking and deepen their understanding. As a result, children develop curiosity, build knowledge and acquire the skills they need for their next stage of learning

Achievement: Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who encounter barriers to learning, make sustained progress from their individual starting points. Children develop the communication, physical, social and early learning skills they need for their next steps. They confidently explore the environment, make choices and increasingly manage everyday tasks independently. For example, children collect their lunch boxes from the trolley, unzip them and flip open the lids of their drinking bottles, developing their independence and ability to manage their own needs. Children use mathematical language as they count pieces of fruit, compare quantities and discuss what they notice. These experiences develop their coordination, independence and understanding of healthy eating.

Children engage purposefully in their learning and develop new skills through meaningful experiences. They recall previous learning, respond to questions and use new vocabulary during play. For example, children explore soil and bulbs as they plant and water flowers, developing their understanding of the natural world and control of their hand movements. Children with SEND participate at their own pace, building confidence as they explore unfamiliar textures and experiences. Children develop increasing independence, communication and emotional regulation. As a result, all children acquire the knowledge and skills they need to build on their learning and prepare for the next stage of their education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff create a calm, welcoming environment where children feel safe, secure and valued. They build trusting relationships with children and get to know them well. Staff use this knowledge to provide consistent routines and support that meet children's individual needs. Secure key-person relationships help children settle quickly and feel confident to explore and learn.

Staff teach children clear expectations for behaviour and model respectful interactions. They use familiar routines and consistent prompts to help children understand what happens next. For example, children recognise that a familiar nursery rhyme means it is time to stop and tidy up. Staff use a sand timer to help children understand when it is time to go back inside, supporting them to manage transitions successfully. Staff also encourage children to share and take turns, such as waiting for a friend to finish pouring water into the water tray before having a go.

Staff respond sensitively when children become overwhelmed and provide access to quieter spaces, familiar adults and the ball pond to help children manage their feelings. They make appropriate adaptations for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other barriers to learning so that they can participate fully.

Leaders monitor attendance and work with parents to encourage regular attendance. They monitor patterns closely, particularly for children known to social care, and work with families and external agencies to improve consistency. As a result, children develop positive relationships, manage routines and transitions confidently, and increasingly regulate their behaviour and emotions.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders place children's welfare and wellbeing at the centre of everything they do. Staff build trusting relationships with children and know them extremely well. Secure key-person relationships and sensitive settling-in arrangements help children feel safe, secure and confident. Staff use their knowledge of children to provide individualised care and make adaptations where additional support is needed.

Staff adapt routines and provide additional support where needed, ensuring all children can access care and learning consistently. Children develop increasing independence in everyday routines. They wash their hands before eating and confidently manage aspects of snack time. Children choose fruit, use safety knives and individual boards to cut it. Staff encourage children to talk about healthy food choices and remind them about chewing and drinking water.

Staff respond sensitively to children's individual needs. When children become overwhelmed, they can access quieter spaces and support from familiar adults. Some children need additional support during busy group snack times or when experiencing unfamiliar food textures. Staff provide this support sensitively, using familiar adults and gradual opportunities to engage without singling children out. These inclusive approaches help children feel secure, understood and confident to participate in everyday experiences.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders place children at the centre of their decisions and have a clear vision for continuous improvement. Their strong and visible presence creates a positive culture where staff feel supported and valued. Leaders know the strengths of their team and provide regular guidance, encouragement and challenge to develop practice.

Professional learning is prioritised and directly informs practice. Recent training in communication and language has strengthened staff approaches to supporting children's speaking, listening and interaction skills. Training in neurodiversity has also strengthened staff understanding of how children with special educational needs and/or disabilities process information and how to adapt interactions to meet their individual needs. Leaders ensure that learning from training is implemented consistently, having a positive impact on the quality of support children receive.

Leaders and staff work closely with parents, external agencies and other professionals to remove barriers to learning and wellbeing. This supports timely, individualised support for children who need it. Parents speak positively about the strong relationships they have built with staff and the guidance they receive. They value staff's help in accessing specialist support and making informed decisions about their children's education. Parents describe feeling listened to and supported, particularly when navigating challenges with their children's development and behaviour.

Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing and foster mutual respect and trust. Staff speak positively about the support they receive and show strong motivation and commitment. As a result, children benefit from a skilled and reflective team that continually develops its practice to improve children's experiences and outcomes.