Ashridge Day Nursery Pitstone and Ivinghoe

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders and staff identify when children's progress is not in line with expectations. However, they do not always act swiftly enough when children do not achieve their identified next steps. As a result, the curriculum and teaching do not consistently support all children to reach their targets. At times, the next steps identified for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not sufficiently well matched to their individual needs. This means that staff do not consistently identify or track the smaller steps in progress that children are making.

Staff understand children's needs well when they experience barriers to learning or have previously been known to children's social care. They use effective strategies to support children's communication, including the use of sign language and communication boards. Staff work closely with other professionals and remain vigilant to any concerns about children's welfare and safety. They are starting to work in partnership with professionals to better support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders have recently placed increased focus on strengthening the curriculum and have clear plans in place. This demonstrates their commitment to ensuring that all children receive the care and education they need to make more rapid progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

New leaders recognise the need to reshape and embed a more effective curriculum. Currently, staff are not always clear about what they want children to learn or how to support their progress effectively. At times, activities are overly adult directed, which limits children's independence, free thinking and motivation. For example, staff prepare and closely direct creative activities, including dipping brushes in glue and telling young children where to place materials. Consequently, young children are not consistently encouraged to develop and use their own ideas. In contrast, older children in the pre-school room experience much greater opportunities to be creative. Staff have increased children's current fascination with planets and the solar system by helping them to make models of the Earth. Older children enjoy playing imaginatively together, and this helps to foster their good relationships with their peers.

Children enjoy activities and show interest in their learning. However, the lack of a clearly defined and embedded curriculum means that teaching is not consistently delivered across the nursery to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. In addition, teaching and opportunities for young children to develop their physical skills are not always readily available. As a result, sometimes, younger children spend extended periods sitting and are not sufficiently motivated to explore or engage in more active learning. Leaders have clear plans in place to strengthen the curriculum so that, across all areas of learning and development, staff have a shared understanding of what they want children to know and be able to do.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children's achievement is variable because the curriculum is not consistently well organised or securely embedded. As a result, some younger children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are not always sufficiently well prepared to move on to the next stage in their learning. In addition, opportunities for younger children to develop and extend their physical skills are not always frequently available or well thought out. This means that some young children do not make the progress they are capable of, particularly in developing strength, coordination and confidence in movement.

Despite these weaknesses, children generally show positive attitudes towards learning. They use sign language effectively to communicate and to express their needs and ideas. Pre-school-aged children are curious and articulate. They talk enthusiastically about their interests, such as dinosaurs and planets, and demonstrate enjoyment in sharing their thoughts with others. Younger children show interest and fascination as they explore sensory materials, including edible resources and dough, which supports their early curiosity and engagement.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children behave well. Staff establish familiar, consistent routines, which support children to feel secure and confident throughout the day. Babies follow their home routines for sleep, rest and mealtimes, which helps them to feel settled, refreshed and emotionally ready to engage in learning experiences. Staff respond sensitively to babies' needs and provide reassurance, which promotes their wellbeing and emotional security.

Staff have realistic, age-appropriate expectations of children's behaviour and use positive praise and encouragement effectively. This helps children to understand boundaries and supports them to develop self-control and consideration for others. Children are calm, cooperative and generally able to manage their behaviour well. They show confidence to explore their environment and confidently seek support and reassurance from familiar adults when needed.

Leaders are proactive in monitoring children's attendance. They promptly follow up unexplained absences with families to check on children's welfare, demonstrating a commitment to safeguarding and children's wellbeing. Staff know children well and are attentive to changes in their behaviour or demeanour that may indicate they are unwell or unsettled. As a result, children feel safe and cared for. Children are settled, and overall, staff support them to develop positive attitudes towards learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff are kind, caring and attentive to meeting children's individual needs. Children develop close and trusting relationships with their key persons and readily seek comfort and reassurance when needed. These warm interactions help children to feel emotionally secure. Staff support children sensitively as they settle into the nursery each day and when they make larger transitions, such as moving between rooms. As a result, children feel safe, settled and confident in the setting.

Staff work with small, consistent groups of children, which enables them to know the children they care for well. This supports children to form secure attachments with staff and positive relationships with their peers. Children benefit from a calm and nurturing environment where staff prioritise their emotional needs. Staff provide children with healthy meals and snacks and sit with them to encourage positive social interactions and support their developing independence.

Leaders place emphasis on supporting children to develop independence in their personal care routines, including toileting, in a sensitive and respectful manner. When children are not yet able to communicate verbally, due to their age or special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), staff ensure they are supported effectively using sign language. This reduces children's frustration and ensures that all children's needs and preferences are understood and responded to appropriately. Children who have SEND, were previously known to children's social care or face other barriers to their learning or wellbeing, benefit from the nurturing relationships they establish with staff, leading to them feeling safe, valued and cared for in the nursery.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

There have been recent changes in leadership at the nursery. Leaders have successfully prioritised establishing a settled and stable staff team to ensure children receive consistent care. They have taken effective action to manage staff workload and promote staff wellbeing, recognising the positive impact this has on staff morale, retention and the overall effectiveness of the nursery. As a result, children benefit from continuity of care and secure, trusting relationships with staff who know them well.

Leaders are reflective and demonstrate a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. They evaluate the provision thoughtfully and are committed to securing improvement. Leaders have identified the need to strengthen the curriculum further and are now prioritising developing staff's knowledge and confidence to support children's learning more effectively. Leaders recognise that current arrangements for sharing information with parents are not always fully effective. Drop-off and collection times can be busy due to traffic restrictions, which sometimes results in staff and parent conversations being shortened. In addition, electronic communication does not consistently provide parents with sufficient detail to help them understand their children's learning and progress. Leaders acknowledge this and accept the need to review and improve communication systems so that parents are better informed and more meaningfully involved in their children's learning.

Staff work effectively with other professionals and external agencies to support children's development and progress, particularly for those with additional needs. This collaborative approach helps ensure that children receive appropriate support and that transitions, including moving on to school, are managed suitably. Overall, leaders demonstrate the commitment and capacity to improve outcomes for children and ensure that the nursery continues to develop in a positive direction.