Always Growing Cippenham

Inclusion: Expected standard

Overall, leaders ensure those responsible for overseeing provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) understand their roles and responsibilities. However, a lack of coordinated and more effective staff deployment throughout the day means these members of staff do not always have sufficient time to fulfil their responsibilities as promptly and effectively as intended. As a result, there are occasional minor delays in gathering ongoing information from parents and carers to help staff continue to review and provide the most appropriate support for children with SEND, and those who face other barriers to learning.

Staff know children well, particularly through the use of screening tools to assess children's competence in English. This helps them remain alert to any emerging gaps, especially in children's communication and language development. Staff are sensitive to the needs of children who speak English as an additional language, as well as those who require additional support. Consequently, children's needs are identified and individual support plans are developed and shared with parents. Overall, these children typically make steady progress. However, although support plans accurately identify children's next steps, they are not always implemented consistently in practice. For example, staff do not always recognise or make the most of opportunities to embed targeted strategies during children's play. As a result, some children who face barriers to learning do not make the progress they are capable of, specifically in narrowing identified gaps. Nevertheless, senior leaders' evaluation accurately highlights plans to reintroduce previous interventions aimed at strengthening children's confidence, speech and attention skills.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Overall the curriculum is well designed, reflects children's interests and provides targeted experiences based on their individual needs. In general, staff understand the importance of sequencing learning through their teaching. Staff's support for children's social and physical development is a particular strength. This is especially beneficial for children who face barriers to their learning, as staff help them to access a curriculum that typically meets their individual needs. Children begin to develop the small muscles in their hands in preparation for early writing. They listen as staff model new words to them to describe their actions, such as 'kneading' play dough.

Although staff carefully assess children's current abilities, they do not consistently recognise and make of the most of spontaneous moments during play to extend children's ideas and build further on their existing knowledge and skills. For instance, when older children build models with toy bricks in the builder's role play area, staff do not encourage children's thinking further to help them create more complex structures with stronger foundations to make their models more stable.

Mathematics is generally woven into everyday experiences across the setting, particularly by more confident staff. They model mathematical language for children to hear, understand and begin to apply in their play. For example, when children fill containers with water, they are encouraged to use words such as 'full' and 'empty'.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children make typical progress from their starting points. They develop knowledge and skills across all areas of learning and are generally well prepared for the next stage in education. Most children achieve well in their communication and language development. For example, those who entered the setting speaking English as an additional language are now able to describe what they are making and engage simply in conversations with others. Children's genuine love for books is evident throughout the setting. They sit close and listen attentively to staff who enthusiastically read stories and lead interactive singing sessions. Children develop their physical skills well, such as when they try hard to balance on planks in an obstacle course or knead play dough.

Older children apply language they have previously heard to describe how the texture of the play dough feels, explaining that it is 'cold' because of the water they added. However, not all children benefit equally from high-quality interactions, as effective teaching is not yet consistently embedded across the setting.

Children demonstrate a growing sense of creativity and imagination, such as when they independently pour water into the muddy play area, put on their wellington boots and excitedly splash in the muddy puddles they have created. Children demonstrate awe and wonder about the world around them. Their curiosity is nurtured effectively as staff provide them with the time and space to use their imaginations during their self-chosen play. For example, children skilfully dig in the mud, collecting stones, twigs and soil onto plates as they explain they are making 'soup' for ladybirds because they are their favourite insects.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders support parents and carers to establish routines and understand the setting's attendance expectations. Clear systems are in place to monitor and follow up absences, ensuring appropriate adaptations can be made to help children attend regularly and arrive punctually. Leaders make purposeful use of additional funding to further support children's attendance, demonstrating a good understanding of families' individual circumstances. For example, extra sessions are provided for children experiencing levels of disadvantage. This successfully helps children become more familiar with staff's expectations, strengthen their positive behaviour and increasingly manage their own emotions.

Generally, routines are well established and help children understand what is happening and what will be next. However, there are times when children experience longer waiting times with minimal interactions from staff, particularly when staff are occupied with other routine tasks, such as tidying up before mealtimes. This demonstrates that on occasions, staff deployment during some transitions is not always organised effectively enough to fully maintain children's engagement in a purposeful way.

Overall, leaders and staff provide a calm, productive environment that positively supports children's learning, development and care. Appropriate provision is in place for children who need additional support to channel their energy and maintain focus. All children form positive relationships with staff and are generally motivated to learn, demonstrating positive attitudes towards their play and learning experiences. That said, at times, some older children wander around the indoor environment without purpose and would benefit from more timely engagement from staff to help them become involved in meaningful activities of their choosing.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff are developing routines for babies to ensure their need for consistent engagement, care and support is met. Babies and toddlers are sensitively encouraged to rest and sleep when needed, helping them to wake refreshed and ready to engage in play and exploration.

Children benefit from healthy snacks provided by the setting. Leaders and staff work closely with families to encourage the provision of balanced and nutritious packed lunches. However, after snack time, some children are left waiting for staff guidance or direction. During these times, teaching is not consistently purposeful or engaging. Discussions about healthy and less healthy foods are more effective during lunchtime routines, where staff deployment is better organised than at snack times, and interactions between staff and children are more meaningful.

In general, the stability of a consistent and longstanding staff team has a positive impact on children's emotional wellbeing. Children are building secure attachments with their key persons, and parents and carers are clear on who their key person is. Staff support children's growing independence well, encouraging them to manage self-care tasks independently, such as putting on their own coats and wellington boots before going outside.

Children who need additional support in their physical and emotional development are generally supported well by staff, who take appropriate steps to help these children begin to self-regulate. For example, staff thoughtfully adapt the indoor and outdoor environment to enable children to move around freely and provide daily opportunities that positively support their emotional wellbeing, such as when they talk about looking at a book if they want to relax.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders understand the diverse local community needs, such as working closely with families to promote healthy packed lunches. They are motivated and highly committed to driving continual improvement across the setting. Leaders regularly review aspects of the setting, celebrating successes and efforts, for example, the positive and professional relationships established with parents and carers. They also identify areas for further development. Parents are meaningfully involved in their children's learning through regular feedback about children's assessments and invitations to attend special events at the setting. Parents highly value the firm commitment leaders and staff show to supporting their children to flourish.

Leaders regularly meet with staff to help them understand their strengths and areas for development. Staff report that they enjoy their roles and feel their wellbeing is supported effectively by leaders. However, leaders do not identify some occasions where staff's teaching could be enhanced to maintain high quality interactions throughout the whole day. Leaders work proactively with external professionals, support staff to identify developmental delays and create tailored support plans for children who face barriers to learning, that reflect children's individual needs. However, leaders do not closely monitor how effectively individual staff implement these plans in practice. Consequently, although children's gaps in learning are beginning to narrow, there are occasions when a lack of consistent implementation by staff means that children's progress is not fully accelerated.