Badgers Bridge

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff know their children well. All families are included, valued and welcomed. Flexible settling in processes ensure staff and parents share information about children's needs together from the outset. Staff use assessment and tracking information to create individual learning and support plans where needed. Staff share information with each other to ensure they all have an accurate understanding of where children are and what children need to learn next. They plan activities and experiences to support children to meet important milestones. Leaders ensure additional funding is used effectively to support children's individual development. For example, resources are purchased to support children's physical development, helping children to learn to balance and move successfully.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing challenges and barriers to learning are effectively supported. Staff attend specialist training to ensure they develop their knowledge and understanding to support children's specific medical needs effectively. Leaders are proactive in seeking advice and support from other professionals to provide children and families with advice and guidance where needed. As such, children who were on individual plans when they start no longer require specialist support.

Leaders have high expectations for all children. They regularly review the support in place for children, making adaptions where necessary to ensure all children can fully access the environment. Leaders have recently made significant changes to the oversight of the SEND provision to ensure they identify gaps in learning and development swiftly. Although in its infancy, leaders are focussed on ensuring they embed consistent practice across the setting. Staff receive tailored support and training to enable them to meet all children's emerging needs. As such, all children make effective progress from their starting points, ensuring they are ready for their next stage in education.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching and maintain effective oversight of practice. They have a clear vision for ensuring consistency across the setting. For example, leaders have recently strengthened the leadership team by recruiting a new deputy area manager. Leaders recognise that, at times, staff do not consistently identify opportunities to extend children's learning, such as building on children's counting during play or encouraging them to make marks and explore letter sounds when they show an interest in writing their names.

Staff prioritise children's communication and language skills. For example, babies cuddle up to hear stories read by staff. Older children join in with actions to favourite rhymes. Children benefit from an environment developed to support their physical skills. Older children learn to solve problems when creating their own apparatus outside, working out how to make things balance with staff. Younger children enjoy exploring shapes, learning to pick them up and identify them during a game. This helps children develop effective coordination skills. Typically, children develop their mathematical understanding. For example, older children learn to count and identify numbers. Staff explain to children mathematical language such as 'bigger', 'heavier' and 'lighter'. Babies enjoy joining in with counting rhymes, enhancing their understanding.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers and challenges to their learning benefit from staff who understand their different starting points. Staff adapt provision to ensure all children make the required progress. Staff use assessment and tracking information effectively to tailor what they offer to meet individual needs. As such, all children make positive progress from their starting points.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make positive progress from their starting points. However, leaders recognise that parents need further support to fully understand their children's next steps to help support the consistency of learning at home and in readiness for school.

Children make smooth transitions to their next educational stage. All children develop knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. Older children learn to recycle water and to care for the world around them. Younger children make choices about what they want to play with, supporting their self-confidence. Babies learn to play with their friends. They clap and delight when they do something for the first time, demonstrating kindness and care. This successfully supports their growing self-esteem successfully.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers and challenges achieve well from their starting points. They receive the necessary support to meet their own milestones. For example, children who could not regulate their own feelings and emotions when they started have now developed firm friendships.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff support children effectively to manage their own behaviour. When needed, staff gently remind children of the impact their actions have on their friends. This helps children understand expectations while supporting the development of their social skills. For example, during outdoor play, children making pretend pasta mixtures are encouraged to share resources and help their friends find a space to join in the activity.

Staff ensure children understand the rules and routines of the setting. They are good role models, offering specific praise and encouragement to reinforce positive behaviour. As such, children play collaboratively together and get along well. For example, older children cut up snacks for their friends. Younger children take turns and share when exploring flour together outside. Babies clap when their friends do something for the first time. This supports all children's positive attitudes to learning and each other.

Leaders work closely with parents to support regular attendance and punctuality. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing barriers and challenges to learning are offered flexible sessions to support this and as such, all children attend regularly and look forward to attending.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders ensure they prioritise practices that support all children's mental and physical wellbeing. For example, leaders develop positive relationships within the wider community enabling children to access local farmland to learn about the importance of the outdoors in supporting healthy lifestyles. At mealtimes, staff engage children in conversations about fruits and vegetables and the impact of eating too much sugar. Children are encouraged to keep themselves safe and healthy. Older children demonstrate embedded routines, applying suncream themselves before going to play outside. Other children learn to manage risks when helping their friends to balance on planks safely.

Children develop secure attachments with familiar staff. They are encouraged to do things for themselves and develop their independence. For example, older children learn to use knives to butter their snacks and they pour their own drinks. Younger children learn to open their own packets. Babies are encouraged to make choices about what they want to eat. These activities encourage children's decision making successfully. Staff ensure they find out about all children's needs and routines before they start, ensuring they work closely with families to support feeding, weaning and sleeping routines effectively. This supports children to settle well and manage their own feelings and emotions successfully.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are very aware of the settings strengths and identify accurately where they can continue to develop and enhance practice to ensure it is consistently embedded throughout the setting. Leaders are proactive, motivated and passionate. They are ambitious for all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing challenges or barriers to their learning and development. Leaders have reviewed and improved arrangements for referring concerns if allegations are raised following a risk assessment. They now fully understand their role with regard to seeking timely advice and notifying the relevant authorities in line with their statutory responsibilities.

Leaders ensure staff are well trained and encourage them to take on additional qualifications and professional development. Staff report that they appreciate the focus on their wellbeing and workloads. As such, they feel valued and fully involved in decision making. For example, staff report that recent changes to the oversight of the special educational needs and/or disabilities provision is having a positive impact. Leaders and staff ensure they seek support and guidance from a range of external professionals and partners to ensure they continue to focus on providing high-quality care and education for all children. Parents value highly the commitment leaders and staff show towards their children in supporting them to flourish and thrive.