Bears Den

Inclusion: Needs attention

The curriculum, teaching and the environment for learning are not consistently effective in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or reducing barriers to learning. The quality of staff's teaching and interactions is variable and often remains supervisory rather than extending children's thinking or building their vocabulary. The curriculum is not sufficiently structured or adapted to ensure that next steps for all children are sharply focused on their individual progress. This limits the opportunities for children's learning, especially those with SEND, and they do not make sufficient progress across the curriculum.

Despite these areas for improvement, leaders demonstrate a clear commitment to an inclusive culture. They work proactively with children's social care and the local authority to support children known to these services. They attend professional meetings and provide detailed information. For children with SEND, leaders successfully work in partnership with other professionals to secure external funding. They implement specialist support plans, such as speech and language interventions, although these plans are not always followed consistently by staff. Disadvantaged children benefit from leaders who prioritise their care. Parents value the nursery's supportive environment, noting that their children feel safe, settled and happy in their care.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

The curriculum is not well thought out or securely embedded. Teaching is inconsistent across the setting. In some instances, staff interactions are supervisory, and they miss vital opportunities to extend children's thinking or model a wide range of vocabulary. The curriculum lacks a sufficiently sharp focus on specific next steps for learning. This often results in activities that do not meet the learning needs of all children. While leaders and staff strive for an inclusive ethos, the adaptation of the curriculum is not yet precise enough to consistently reduce barriers for all learners. This means that children do not make the best possible progress from their starting points.

There is a clear vision for what leaders and staff hope children will achieve. They establish a pleasant environment where children feel safe, settled and emotionally secure. On occasion, where teaching is stronger, staff use their knowledge of the children to provide engaging experiences. For example, children develop their small-muscle skills as they press and squeeze their favourite play dough into shapes. Occasionally, staff count with children as they carefully balance one brick on top of another. For children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, leaders work closely with external professionals to secure funding and implement specialist support plans. This collaborative approach ensures that the nursery remains a welcoming space that prioritises the wellbeing of every child in its care.

Achievement: Needs attention

While children generally enjoy their time at the nursery, inconsistencies in the curriculum mean they do not typically make the best possible progress across all areas of learning. This means children do not fully develop the skills they need in preparation for their next stage of learning. Children hear some words as they chat with staff, and they occasionally choose a book for staff to read to them. However, for those children where there are gaps in their language development, staff's interactions do not support their progress well enough. The most able children, or those who are getting ready for school, do not have enough opportunities to practise their social and independence skills.

Children occasionally learn about mathematical ideas incidentally as they build a tower of bricks and staff count the blocks with them. They develop physical skills as they climb over, under and through an indoor obstacle course. Despite weaknesses in their achievement, children are happy and comfortable as they play alongside their friends.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff establish a calm environment where children feel safe and secure. Children understand and follow a consistent routine and know what will happen next. For example, they line up to get ready to wash hands prior to lunchtime. Children are quick to remind their friends to stay in line or they will miss their turn. Occasionally, transitions between activities are not managed well enough, and children sometimes become distracted. Furthermore, because the curriculum is not always sharply adapted to individual next steps, some children occasionally lose focus when activities lack the necessary challenge to fully sustain their natural curiosity and drive.

Despite these areas for development, children are happy, behave well and demonstrate genuine kindness toward their peers. They have excellent manners, and they play well with their friends. Children demonstrate a clear understanding of the nursery expectations and respond with enthusiasm to the praise and encouragement offered by staff. Children and staff have friendly and positive relationships. They laugh together as the tower of bricks topples over. Leaders demonstrate a proactive approach to attendance. They work closely with families to ensure that disadvantaged children and those known to social care attend regularly.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff demonstrate a clear commitment to the safety of all children, and while there are some inconsistencies in the quality of education, children are generally happy and settled. They create a warm and welcoming space and encourage a sense of belonging for children and their families. Staff take time to build strong, warm relationships with their key children, ensuring they feel secure and settled from the moment they arrive. Children benefit from secure relationships with staff.

Children choose independently from the limited play choices on offer. They communicate their needs, for example as they ask for a drink of water from the jug available on the table. While the quality of interactions is variable, staff are attentive and caring. They help all children with personal care routines and encourage them to do some things for themselves, such as putting on their coat. While children do not sleep during their time at the setting, staff ensure children have opportunities to rest when needed.

Leaders and staff provide parents with guidance around healthy eating. They provide nutritional snacks for children during the day, and water is always available to drink. Children develop their coordination, attempting an obstacle course made of soft-play equipment or the indoor gym resources. However, children do not have enough opportunity to access fresh air and exercise in the outdoors. This limits their chances to develop and strengthen their large-muscle skills.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders agree that there are currently some challenges in ensuring a consistently high standard of education across the nursery for all children. Monitoring of teaching is not yet rigorous enough to identify variations in the quality of staff's teaching, their interactions or their understanding of how to provide a rich learning environment. This means that the curriculum is not implemented well enough. While leaders have a vision for improvement, the impact of limited opportunities for professional learning means that not all staff possess the expertise required to consistently extend children's vocabulary or tailor learning to children's next steps.

Leaders demonstrate a genuine commitment to the wellbeing and workload of their staff. They foster a supportive culture where team members feel valued. They have recently introduced a new training programme to begin to provide staff with the skills and knowledge they need. Leaders and staff are keen to bridge gaps in practice. There is a strong sense of community in this nursery, and parents speak highly of the leaders and staff. They say they are approachable and provide a nurturing environment for their children.