Back To The Garden Childcare Centre

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff know their children extremely well. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to learning, are consistently included in all aspects of nursery life. Leaders work particularly closely with families to gain an accurate understanding of children's individual interests and needs. They then use this information to design bespoke activities to support each child. Leaders closely help parents and carers when making referrals. Parents say they feel supported extremely well. Leaders are passionate and highly motivated to ensure all children receive the very best care and education. They provide additional training for staff to ensure children's additional needs are met consistently well. This helps to remove any barriers to learning and is a strength of this nursery. All children, including those with SEND, form consistently positive relationships with the staff who look after them. This helps them to settle extremely quickly and form a firm sense of belonging.

Leaders have formed highly effective partnerships with outside agencies. They work together to establish a wide range of successful strategies to enhance the opportunities and experiences for all children. These are carefully monitored and skilfully adjusted to ensure that they continue to make a sustained difference to children's outcomes. The needs of children with SEND and those who may face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing are met particularly well. All children form consistently positive attitudes to learning. This helps children to feel safe, secure and form a firm sense of belonging.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed an interesting and inclusive curriculum that generally meets the needs of all children well. Skilful adaptations mean that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), feel included and access all areas of learning. However, some inconsistencies in routines and the curriculum for mathematics do not yet assure accelerated and consistent progress across all rooms. This is because the curriculum does not consistently build on what children already know and can do. Leaders have a clear plan of how to enhance their curriculum to make it aspirational for all children.

Leaders ensure that all children, including those with SEND, are given opportunities to develop their physical skills. Babies learn how to pull themselves up and wave at their friends through the window. Young children crawl through the wooden tunnel and are guided by kind staff as they learn how to use the tall slide. Older children skilfully climb the wall and are taught how to jump backwards onto the soft mat. Staff teach them how to put on their own coats and carry their own plates of food at lunchtime. All children, including those with SEND and those who may face barriers to their learning, grow in confidence as they learn new skills.

Children are supported well as they learn about the world around them. Nurturing adults give babies cuddles and shake the sensory toys together. Young children learn new words as they explore the coloured scarves with caring staff. They say they can see 'purple' and 'yellow'. Experienced adults use mathematical language with older children when they fill up the jugs with lilac water. They talk about how full the jug is and how it is overflowing. Children giggle as they say it is like a waterfall. They say if their train track is the longest or shortest and talk about the weather outside. All children, including those with SEND, enjoy learning and typically make sufficient progress from their starting points.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), generally achieve well from their starting points. They receive lots of exciting opportunities to develop their physical skills. Young babies clap their hands to a familiar song. They hold staff's hands and smile as they are encouraged to walk across the garden. Young children giggle as they are guided up the steps of the low slide. They learn to kick a ball and ride a bicycle with their friends. Older children skilfully squeeze a bottle and squirt water onto a sheet. Children, including those with SEND, are typically prepared well for their next stage in learning.

Children build meaningful relationships with staff and with each other. Babies are cuddled as they look at books with the staff who care for them. Young children watch in amazement as water flows through colanders in the water tray and say it is a 'waterfall'. They carry water and say, 'I've got some more.' Older children hold puppets as they sit and listen to longer stories read by skilled adults. They talk about the story and feel listened to. All children, including those with SEND, form positive attitudes to learning. They are typically prepared well for their next stage in learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to their learning. Children typically behave well and understand what is expected of them. Any instances of poor behaviour are dealt with swiftly and fairly. Skilled staff use a range of strategies to help support routines generally well. Babies learn to feed themselves and select their own lidded cup. Young children serve their own food and ask politely if they can have some more. Older children use the water filter to pour their own drinks and eat with adults who teach them positive table manners. However, at times, staff do not use routines to their full potential to support children's learning. This means some children experience slightly longer periods of waiting than necessary.

Leaders promote attendance and punctuality typically well. They follow policies and procedures to ensure families receive support and that children are kept safe. Staff are effective role models and teach children to be kind and to share. Babies take turns scooping rice into pots. Young children put their hands on their knees as they wait patiently for their snack. Older children learn to tidy up the outside garden area and take a pride in looking after their toys. Children learn to focus on what matters and form positive attitudes to learning. All children, including those with SEND, feel valued and form a secure sense of belonging.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders prioritise children's wellbeing and put it at the heart of all that they do. They have created a safe place where children typically flourish. This includes children with specific educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. At times, some children spend slightly longer waiting when they could be learning, and leaders are aware of this. All children have daily access to the large outdoor area, where they learn how to form healthy routines that support their mental health. Babies roll balls on the coloured rug outside. Young children count '1, 2, 3, 4' as they scoop the flower petals into hollow coconut shells. Older children climb carefully up the ladder to the tall slide, and giggle with glee as they travel down the slide. All children, including those with SEND, enjoy learning and develop confidence and self-esteem.

Leaders work closely with other agencies to ensure any additional needs are identified early and that children's needs are met. Parents say their children are 'nurtured' and 'genuinely known as an individual'. Kind staff know their children well and plan activities to support their interests and needs typically well. They build meaningful relationships with children. Leaders ensure safer eating and safer sleeping guidance is followed to keep children safe. Transitions into new rooms are managed effectively and meet the needs of individual children. This helps children to settle quickly and develop a secure sense of belonging. All children, including those with SEND and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, feel included and safe.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are passionate about providing the very best care and education for all their children. They have a sound understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. Leaders are highly reflective. They work closely with staff to have a clear plan of how to address any inconsistencies in their curriculum and staff practice. Leaders prioritise the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), in all that they do. Leaders have formed effective relationships with external agencies and work closely with them to support children and their families. Children, including those with SEND, generally make sound progress across all areas of learning from their starting points.

Parents are extremely complimentary of leaders and staff. They value the time leaders take to get to know each individual family and particularly appreciate the extended opening hours offered. Leaders provide effective and comprehensive handovers to families, although leaders have not yet ensured that all parents and carers are acutely aware of their child's precise next steps for learning. Leaders value their staff and support their mental health well. Staff say they feel listened to and supported in their role. Leaders undertake regular supervision sessions and are generally swift to identify staff training needs. Staff speak of how recent training has improved their practice, in particular around the new statutory requirements for children eating and sleeping safely. This helps to make a positive difference to the lives of children.

Leaders ensure that all children, including those with SEND and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are typically prepared well for their next stage in learning. Babies learn to feed themselves, and young children use the big spoon to serve potatoes. Older children learn polite table manners and eat using a knife and fork. Leaders use additional funding wisely to meet the needs of specific children, including those with SEND. All children typically settle well and form positive attitudes to learning.