Ashbourne Day Nurseries at Grantham

Inclusion: Strong standard

There is a highly positive and nurturing culture of inclusion across the setting. Leaders and staff have consistently high expectations of all children and demonstrate a committed approach to ensuring every child thrives. They create a warm, safe and highly supportive environment where children feel a strong sense of belonging. Leaders and staff know all children exceptionally well, showing a thorough understanding of their unique personalities and any barriers they may face in relation to learning and wellbeing. This detailed knowledge enables them to reduce barriers through thoughtful reasonable adjustments, adaptations and inclusive practices.

Staff skilfully and consistently adapt teaching, routines and the environment so that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as disadvantaged children, can access the curriculum fully and participate confidently alongside their peers. Leaders rigorously monitor children's progress closely and are highly reflective in regularly reviewing the impact of support. As a result, all children make secure and sustained progress from their starting points, irrespective of the challenges they face. Disadvantaged children and those with complex family circumstances receive targeted and highly effective support.

Leaders use funding strategically and effectively to meet children's needs. They work closely with parents and professionals to identify enriching resources and activities that promote progress towards children's next steps. For instance, leaders have used funding to create cosy spaces where children can have quiet time to self-regulate and develop emotional resilience. The way that funding is used is thoughtfully evaluated to ensure it has a significant impact on outcomes for disadvantaged children.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders plan a highly ambitious and enriching curriculum that prioritises children's communication and language, personal, social and emotional development and physical skills. Staff have a secure understanding of what they want children to learn, and learning is thoughtfully sequenced so that new knowledge builds effectively on prior learning. Each room has clear learning intentions and inspirational focus words, which are regularly reviewed and adapted to reflect children's needs and interests. Children use extensive vocabulary, such as using the word 'miserable' as another word for 'sad' when reading 'The Colour Monster' story.

Staff provide abundant opportunities for children to develop a deep love of books, songs and rhymes. Children excitedly sing and read together, showing enthusiasm and engagement in literacy-rich experiences. They recall familiar stories in their play. For example, they have a go at 'blowing' down the tower they have made, like 'The Big Bad Wolf'. They remember that 'bricks are heavy'. Staff have created thoughtful social stories based on children's own experiences, helping children understand routines, emotions and social interactions. This has a significant impact on children's confidence, emotional regulation and social development.

Interactions between staff and children are of consistently high quality. Staff skilfully adapt their teaching, model language effectively and use every interaction as a purposeful teaching opportunity. They encourage curiosity and critical thinking, supporting children to test ideas and explore materials independently. Staff use visual aids and Makaton effectively to enhance communication, particularly for children who speak English as an additional language. This is highly embedded across the nursery.

Assessment is used highly effectively to identify children's starting points and next steps. As a result, teaching is adapted precisely, and all children, including those facing barriers to learning, make excellent progress from their starting points across all areas of development.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make excellent progress from their individual starting points across all areas of learning. Younger children confidently develop early mathematical skills, such as counting and matching quantities. Older children demonstrate impressive problem-solving, resilience and teamwork skills as they complete complex tasks such as 50 piece jigsaw puzzles together. Children show highly positive attitudes to learning, engaging fully in both adult-led activities and chosen play.

Physical development is prioritised well, with younger children building coordination and balance through scooters before progressing confidently to pedalling bikes. Staff provide abundant opportunities for children to strengthen both large and small physical skills through carefully planned activities and outdoor play. Children also make secure progress in developing independence and self-care skills. From a young age, they learn to eat independently, dress and undress themselves, brush their teeth and manage personal hygiene routines confidently.

Disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who face barriers to learning make similarly sustained progress due to highly effective targeted support and tailored teaching. As a result, all children flourish, develop confidence and resilience and are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their learning, including school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Positive relationships between staff and children are a significant strength of the setting. Staff know children exceptionally well and provide warm, responsive interactions that help children to feel safe, secure and emotionally supported. Leaders have established a kind, caring and highly nurturing environment where expectations for behaviour are clear, consistent and well understood by children and staff.

Children are taught to recognise and understand feelings through purposeful conversations, daily interactions and carefully planned activities. Staff sensitively encourage children to think about how others may feel through reflective questioning and discussion, helping them to develop empathy, emotional awareness and an understanding of consequences. This is reflected in children's thoughtful interactions with one another. For instance, when peers experience a minor tumble, children instinctively stop to check if they are alright and offer reassurance. Children show kindness and compassion towards others and are developing the skills to manage and regulate their emotions successfully.

Children are supported well to collaborate, share and help each other during play and routines. Staff consistently encourage independence and resilience, promoting highly positive attitudes to learning. Children show perseverance, confidence and determination, often saying, 'I can do it,' as they tackle new challenges.

Leaders take decisive and supportive action to promote good attendance and punctuality, working proactively with families where concerns arise. For example, leaders make prompt 'check-in' calls when children do not arrive at the expected time and work collaboratively with families to reduce barriers to attendance, such as adapting session times to better meet individual family needs. This helps to ensure children attend regularly, settle quickly into routines and benefit consistently from the rich learning opportunities on offer.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Staff promote independence and dignity during care routines. For example, they seek consent before changing nappies or wiping faces and encourage children to complete these tasks for themselves wherever possible. This helps children develop confidence, independence and an understanding of personal boundaries. All care practices are thoughtful and responsive to children's individual needs. Policies and procedures are thoroughly embedded throughout the nursery, with all staff. The key-person system is highly effective and ensures children form secure, trusting relationships with familiar adults who know their needs exceptionally well. As a result, children feel safe, secure and emotionally supported throughout the day.

Children are supported well to understand how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Staff teach children about safety in the community, including how to cross roads safely, behave appropriately in the park and manage risks in their environment. Children develop excellent self-care skills, such as brushing their teeth in nursery. They use mirrors to check their teeth and enjoy making them 'sparkly clean', which promotes independence and healthy habits. Lending library books and parent information packs further extend this learning, offering age-appropriate guidance on a range of welfare and safety themes for children and families.

Children's emotional wellbeing is supported exceptionally well. Staff use social stories effectively to help children, including those who have experienced trauma, understand feelings, routines and personal safety. Children show care and compassion towards one another, helping and cooperating with peers during play and daily routines, which reflects a secure sense of belonging.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders provide highly effective oversight of the setting. They demonstrate a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and take decisive action to improve areas identified for development. Leaders' commitment to professional development is exemplary, with extensive training on brain development and trauma-informed practices having a highly positive impact on children's welfare and wellbeing.

The development of mathematics across the setting is a notable success. Leaders have helped staff gain confidence in teaching mathematics, improving the quality of activities and ensuring that mathematical concepts are meaningfully embedded across all areas of learning. Provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities is excellent, with leaders and staff collaborating effectively to provide tailored support that meets each child's individual needs.

Leaders manage staff workload effectively, ensuring high morale and a committed, motivated team. Decisions are consistently made in the best interests of children, particularly for those who are disadvantaged or face barriers to learning. Staff feel supported and empowered, which translates into high-quality teaching and care. Overall, leadership is highly effective, ensuring that all children thrive and achieve their potential.

Partnerships with parents are a significant strength of the setting. Leaders prioritise daily communication, spending time with parents during handovers to share key information about children's experiences, wellbeing and progress. Leaders extend their support to parents with advice and guidance on current needs they may have, such as support for toilet training, sleep or toothbrushing. These interactions are purposeful and supportive, helping to build trust and ensure consistency between home and nursery.