Applepips Day Nursery (Heritage House)

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff work in partnership with parents and other professionals, sharing information so that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported. Children are well prepared for their transitions throughout the nursery. Staff spend time getting to know them as they move between rooms. They observe children's preferences in play to help create a welcoming play environment and provide a close staff presence throughout so that children can be given reassurances when needed.

Leaders gather information regarding children's culture and the languages spoken in the home. This inclusive approach helps children and families feel valued. Staff closely observe children during activities and play. They advocate for children and identify where they may need additional support, and they promptly share this information with families and external services when needed. Leaders evaluate the impact of any additional funding on the experiences of disadvantaged children.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have implemented a broad and balanced curriculum that effectively covers all areas of learning. Staff know children very well and use children's interests and existing knowledge to plan a variety of activities that motivate children to learn and help them to make progress from their starting points. Staff create an environment that is rich in language. They become involved in children's play and narrate what children are doing, modelling new vocabulary and providing children with plenty of time to respond with their own ideas. Staff support the emerging language of babies as they model new language and provide names for the babies' actions, such as 'jump' and 'splash'.

Mathematical development is well supported. Children are encouraged to count petals floating in water. Staff teach them about concepts such as volume and capacity as they play with jugs and funnels in the water. Children have ample opportunities to develop their physical skills as they run and negotiate obstacles in the garden. Babies delight as they are invited to engage in the play of others. They reach for balls and squeal with delight when they successfully kick them. Generally, staff are able to adapt activities to enable children who are at a disadvantage to make progress in their learning.

Following the previous inspection, leaders have worked hard to strengthen staff understanding of the curriculum so that learning opportunities are more purposeful and well focused. However, staff training has yet to be fully embedded. This results in times when children do not always receive the most effective teaching that fully extends their learning. As a result, some learning can be more incidental than purposeful.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make progress in their learning. Overall, staff support children well to close any gaps in their knowledge. Children are developing their independence in their play choices and everyday routines, such as mealtimes. Babies are given praise when they attempt to put on a bib themselves. They delight in the gentle encouragement that they receive from staff. Older children successfully negotiate a balance beam with a little support from staff. They persevere when tasks feel difficult and celebrate with their friends when they achieve for the first time. Children grow into confident and enthusiastic learners. They express themselves and their ideas through talk, gesture and play. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Overall, children develop the knowledge, behaviours and skills that they need for the next stage in their education, such as going to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff build warm and trusting bonds with children. This helps children to feel safe and secure and fosters a sense of belonging. Staff act as positive role models and offer gentle praise and guidance, which helps to reinforce positive behaviour. They recognise when some children find it difficult to manage their behaviour, such as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They provide strategies to help children to identify their emotions and calm themselves. Consequently, some older children manage their behaviour with confidence and resolve conflict with some support. However, staff do not yet consistently help some children to understand that there are consequences to their behaviour or realise how their actions affect others.

Babies' individual needs are effectively met as staff provide a very loving and tactile approach and establish age- and stage-appropriate boundaries. Staff are aware that routines are very important for the very youngest of children. They gather important information from parents, such as sleep routines. This helps to support a successful continuity of care between home and the nursery.

Leaders monitor children's attendance and promote punctuality. This practice helps to influence children's positive future outcomes.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff form strong relationships with children and their families. They recognise the importance of doing this from the start when a child begins at the nursery. Staff respond to children's unique needs and provide ongoing reassurance through the key-person system, which helps to create a secure base from which to explore and learn. There is a strong focus on supporting children's emotional needs, which helps children to feel safe and ready to learn. Babies settle very quickly and develop trust in the staff who care for them. Older children regularly invite staff to play with them. They enjoy listening to staff and telling stories about what is important to them, such as life at home.

Staff support children's personal development effectively, particularly with independence. With support, children are gently encouraged to tackle tasks such as handwashing and feeding. Babies use cutlery and older children get themselves ready in preparation for playing outside. Children benefit from a range of healthy, nutritious meals and snacks, and parents are given the option of providing a healthy alternative meal from home. Healthy lifestyles are promoted effectively, such as the importance of looking after teeth, and staff ensure that safe eating and sleeping practices are followed rigorously.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have worked hard to make the necessary improvements since the last inspection. Leaders have a good oversight of the nursery and have identified areas that they need to continue to develop or further embed. Leaders use observation, supervision and regular reflection to monitor the impact of practice and make adjustments. This ensures that improvements are purposeful and continue to support positive outcomes for all children.

Staff feed back that they feel valued and respected. They speak positively about the hands-on approach of leaders and the continuous improvements that are being made. Leaders and staff have established an inclusive culture where all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are successfully supported to make progress.

Parents mention that their children are very happy at the nursery. They value the warmth and kindness of the long-standing staff team. They are confident that their children feel safe and are secure.

Leaders provide ongoing professional development for staff and, through observation and assessment, identify areas for future training. However, recent adaptations and staff training have yet to be fully established throughout the nursery. This means that the areas that leaders have recently identified for improvement and necessary consequent actions have not yet been fully embedded throughout the nursery.