Archway Nursery School

Inclusion: Expected standard

Staff use effective assessment and monitoring procedures to identify any gaps in children's learning. Staff respond appropriately to emerging concerns and/or identified needs. They adapt their teaching to support children to continue to make progress. For example, staff provide additional opportunities for children to work in small groups, helping them to develop the skills needed to play alongside their peers.

Staff access regular training to support their understanding of local procedures for seeking additional support and advice from other professionals when needed. They use funding for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities appropriately to support children's access to learning. This includes providing suitable resources and strategies to help children communicate and express their likes, dislikes and wishes. For instance, staff use signing and visual supports, such as photos, to help older children understand routines and make choices in their play.

Staff work in partnership with parents and carers to review the support in place for individual children. Parents report that their children's needs are being met and that they are making progress in their learning and development.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have designed a broad and sequenced curriculum. This is generally delivered well. Staff use information from parents and carers and their own observations to understand children's starting points. This, alongside regular monitoring, helps staff to provide activities and experiences to build on children's knowledge and skills. This supports steady progress for children ready for school.

Children benefit from motivating opportunities to learn outdoors. Older children listen to stories outside and recreate characters using twigs and sticks from the forest area. Staff read with enthusiasm, encouraging children to join in with repeated phrases and suggest rhyming words. This supports their communication and language development and fosters a love of books. Younger children enjoy kicking and rolling balls, developing their physical skills.

Staff follow children's interests to engage them in learning. For example, they build on older children's interest in cars and ramps by introducing simple measuring as children explore how far their cars travel. Staff provide a number chart and encourage comparisons of distance. Younger children laugh as staff support them to count body parts, promoting early mathematics and language.

Children are supported to take turns and play alongside others. Staff model simple language to encourage sharing. They adapt their approach and modify their language to support children who find this difficult.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children typically demonstrate that they are making progress from their starting points and are developing the independence needed for school. For example, younger children use tongs to serve themselves fruit and wipe their faces using a mirror after eating.

Older children show confidence in their abilities. They engage in playful interactions with staff as they skilfully build towers using small, irregular 3D shapes. Children jokingly say to staff, 'I'm going to make a much taller one than you.' Children demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They listen attentively, follow instructions and show pride in their achievements. Children sustain focus for extended periods, for example, when using trowels to fill pots with soil and plant seeds. They use a range of vocabulary and speak confidently to staff and their peers about what they are doing.

Babies are developing their mobility and physical skills. They pull themselves up and move around the environment to access toys that interest them. Babies enjoy sharing books with staff, turning pages as they sit on their laps. However, play for babies is often interrupted. This means at times their learning and progress are not fully extended. Children who experience difficulties with communication and language receive support to express themselves using single words and short phrases. They use photos to help them follow routines and understand what is expected of them.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Weaknesses in the organisation of the environment and daily routines for babies mean that their learning is often disrupted and their emotional wellbeing is not consistently prioritised. Staff move between rooms and take babies to different areas, resulting in a busy and sometimes noisy environment. During these times, babies show signs of being unsettled, indicating that they do not always feel safe and secure.

In general, staff's interactions with children are positive and supportive. Staff praise children, encourage them to persevere and join in with play and learning. As a result, most children settle quickly and show enjoyment. For example, younger children clap and cheer as they roll cars down a slide.

Children generally behave well and show kindness towards one another. Older children demonstrate an understanding of routines at lunchtime, passing plates and offering food to their friends, saying, 'Oops, I forgot you, sorry' when needed. Staff support younger children with their routine for sleeping by helping children to find their beds, remove their shoes and socks and put them in their own bags before they settle down for a rest.

Settling-in arrangements are flexible and take account of the needs of children and their parents and carers. Leaders work closely with parents to promote the importance of regular attendance and punctuality. This helps children to develop positive habits and ensures that they make the most of their sessions.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Leaders have not implemented an effective key-person system to ensure that babies' welfare and wellbeing are consistently prioritised. Staff do not always respond promptly when babies are unsettled or when their care needs require attention. For example, staff do not consistently notice when babies' noses need wiping. As a result, babies' welfare is not fully supported, and opportunities to develop secure attachments and a sense of security are reduced.

Children benefit from a suitable range of opportunities and activities that support their physical development. Staff provide children with the space and resources they need to develop control of their bodies. For example, children balance on logs outside and climb on small equipment inside. Children receive support to manage their emotions as staff talk to them about how they are feeling and reinforce their understanding with simple stories.

Appropriate procedures at mealtimes help children to begin to understand how to keep themselves safe. For instance, staff remind older children to place cutlery in the wash bowl if it falls on the floor. Mealtimes are also used to promote healthy lifestyles. Staff talk to children about how bodies are different and explain in a sensitive way why some foods or drinks may make people feel unwell.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have an overview of the setting's strengths and areas for development. However, they do not identify weaknesses with sufficient precision. As a result, actions taken are not sharply focused or timely enough to bring about swift and sustained improvement.

Staff have access to a range of professional development opportunities to support their knowledge and practice. Training, including that related to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, helps staff to understand how to support children who face barriers to their learning. Staff are aware of the processes for seeking additional support when required. Leaders also seek feedback from staff to support their workload and wellbeing.

Leaders work in partnership with parents and carers to support children's learning. They share information about children's development and provide ideas for activities that parents can use at home. This helps parents to contribute to their children's learning.