Baby Kaleidascope

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders ensure that all children can take part in the opportunities and activities available. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged children, children known or previously known to children's social care and others who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing. Leaders know children and their families well. They work with parents, carers and other professionals to identify children's unique needs promptly. Leaders take appropriate steps to reduce barriers so that children can access all learning opportunities, alongside their peers.

Leaders and staff typically use their knowledge of individual children to adapt the support they provide. For example, they use clear, simple instructions alongside visual prompts to enhance understanding. Leaders have developed individualised approaches to help younger children settle. For example, carefully planned strategies support babies when they are reluctant to separate from their parents or carers. Children with SEND benefit from targeted physical activities which support their emotional regulation and engagement. As a result, children feel increasingly secure, calm and settled.

Leaders use additional funding thoughtfully to reduce barriers to participation and broaden children's experiences. This includes providing targeted resources which build on children's interests and organising trips in the local community. Children visit local cafes, shops and the fire station to learn about the world around them.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have developed a child-centred, exploratory curriculum. They provide children with a range of activities and opportunities that encourage them to be inquisitive and learn through play. The environment is inclusive and accessible to all children and provides them with a range of opportunities to develop across all areas of learning. The extensive outdoor obstacle course enables children to climb, balance and jump, supporting their physical skills. The designated art space enables children to express themselves creatively. Children relish in using large brushes to make marks with paint, encouraging them to develop their motor skills and learn about different colours. Communication, language and listening skills are promoted through daily, collaborative singing sessions and stories.

Staff generally support children's learning well. They join children in their play to extend learning. Staff introduce new vocabulary, such as the word 'crushing', when incorporating herbs into play dough. Children are encouraged to develop their mathematical understanding through familiar rhymes, games and targeted activities. For example, during games of dominoes, children identify and match numbers.

Leaders have identified that the quality of staff interactions is not yet consistent. They are developing staff's knowledge and confidence so that all children benefit from high-quality teaching throughout their day. This will provide staff with the skills to build on what children already know and can do, further extending their learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make positive progress from their individual starting points. They are motivated and curious in their play, showing genuine excitement during activities. Children who have previously found transitions more challenging now enter the setting happily. They are learning to manage changes to routines with growing confidence. Babies develop their strength, balance and coordination as they crawl, climb and reach for resources. Open-ended materials support them to develop increasingly precise movements and control.

Older children manage aspects of their own care with confidence, including washing their hands and putting on their shoes. They can increasingly express their needs, share ideas and engage others in their play. Children develop their problem-solving skills as they create tracks for cars, carefully considering how best to construct them. They also have a keen interest in books and enjoy singing familiar rhymes and songs, developing their communication and language skills. Overall, children develop the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders typically set high expectations for children's behaviour. Overall, they promote a calm and respectful culture. Children generally behave well and play collaboratively with others. For example, they work together to create shapes using magnetic tiles. Children show positive attitudes to learning as they engage in self-chosen activities with excitement, showing an eagerness to explore and be curious.

Staff know children well, which allows them to anticipate when they may need additional support to regulate their emotions. Staff show patience and kindness as they help children to modify their behaviours and make positive choices. Children generally follow and respond well to the routines of the day, helping them to feel secure.

Leaders identify that transitions between routines need further refinement. During some transitions, babies can become unsettled, especially when waiting for mealtimes. Some children wait without purposeful engagement while others wash their hands. Leaders explain that as part of ongoing improvement, they are supporting staff's confidence to manage transitions more seamlessly.

Leaders generally promote attendance and punctuality well through clear policies and ongoing communication with parents and carers. Building positive working relationships with families ensures that children access their full entitlement to early years education.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff build warm and trusting relationships with children. They are attentive and responsive to children's needs. This enables children to feel safe and secure. Children are confident to explore their surroundings freely, making independent choices about their experiences and demonstrating that they feel comfortable and settled.

Staff typically support children's developing independence and encourage them to manage aspects of their personal care. Babies are supported to wipe their own faces, and older children pour their own water from jugs at mealtimes. Children are encouraged to take responsibility for everyday tasks. For example, they work together to sweep up sand using dustpans and brushes. Children enjoy plenty of fresh air outside in the well-resourced outdoor area. They practise important physical skills through a range of movements, developing their strength, balance and coordination.

Leaders encourage parents to provide healthy snacks and lunches for children by offering guidance and support. Staff talk to children at mealtimes about the importance of eating a balanced diet, and they monitor mealtimes well to ensure their safety. Leaders understand that, at times, transitions are not as well-organised as other parts of the day. This means that children, especially babies, become unsettled as they wait. Leaders are implementing plans to ensure that greater consistency can be achieved.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders develop positive relationships with parents and carers and maintain regular communication about children's progress and next steps. Parents value the information shared. They report that their children love attending the nursery. Parents enjoy the frequent stay-and-play sessions where they become immersed in nursery life. Leaders respond to any concerns swiftly and take appropriate action to address these.

Leaders value their staff team and regularly check in on their wellbeing, manage workloads, and provide meaningful supervision sessions. Staff, including apprentices, report that leaders adapt workloads where needed, for example, to help staff complete administrative tasks or access professional development opportunities. This ensures that staff feel supported and children receive nurturing care. Professional development opportunities are actively promoted and many staff are carrying out a range of courses to enhance their practice, including extensive training to support inclusive practice in the nursery.

Leaders prioritise inclusive practice and have taken active steps to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children, children known or previously known to children's social care and others who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing, are fully included. Leaders work with parents and external professionals to promote continuity of care and support for them to settle and feel secure.