Bedale Day Nursery Ltd

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have established a nurturing and highly inclusive culture across the setting. Children's developmental levels are assessed when they join the setting and progress is meticulously tracked. Barriers to learning are identified at the earliest opportunity. Leaders encourage and support staff to undertake targeted training to extend their knowledge of how to support specific children. In addition, staff work closely with professionals so that specific interventions can be implemented in-house. Children make excellent progress through receiving this high quality and consistent approach.

Staff deliver sessions to help individual children reach their next milestone. Staff are very reflective and review the impact of these sessions, already thinking of ways to extend children's learning once a stage has been reached. This means that the level of difficulty is not overwhelming, yet challenging. Staff adapt their teaching to meet children's differing levels of ability. They use single word interactions with some children and more complex sentences with those more advanced in their communication skills. Additional funding received is used very well to provide specific resources that individual children will enjoy, while helping them to move forward in their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have designed and implemented an ambitious curriculum that carefully builds upon the skills and knowledge children acquire within each room. The quality of teaching by staff is excellent. They are highly knowledgeable and reflective, sharing ideas and thoughts with each other on a regular basis. The impact of teaching is reviewed for all children but especially for those children with developmental delays and prompt adaptations are made as necessary. As children meet their targets, the complexity of planned activities increases appropriately, so children remain challenged.

Language and communication skills are developed consistently well and staff are skilled at introducing new vocabulary. Children learn about shapes through using a range of different construction resources and staff help children to understand mathematical concepts. For example, they show them how to make comparisons between the height of different towers and learn about shape properties, showing that 2 triangles placed in a certain way creates a rectangle. Learning about different emotions takes place through sharing stories that include characters who experience a range of different feelings. This is built upon by skilled staff, who suggest strategies that can be used when feelings are overwhelming, This helps prepare children for any future challenges they may face.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make excellent progress. Targeted individual learning plans are highly effective in ensuring any gaps in learning are closing rapidly. Children develop excellent problem-solving skills and are supported to learn through trial and error. They develop excellent 'can-do' attitudes that help them face future challenges with confidence. Children are consistently engaged in learning. They show their enjoyment as they clap their hands with excited anticipation as they participate in specific learning games, asking for another turn.

Children are accomplished communicators. Conversations continually take place and staff increase children's vocabulary very well. Children use language to convey their needs and wants, which helps avoid any feelings of frustration. Children are prepared incredibly well for the next stage in their educational journey. They gain important skills, such as how to use cutlery, pour drinks and wait patiently in a line before venturing outside. Children show excellent social skills. They know how to interact appropriately with others and develop fabulous relationships with each other. They collaborate well as they take turns in role-play games.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff have high expectations of behaviour and reminders are given in a calm way, appropriate to the developmental stage of children. Relationships between children and staff are highly effective. When children find it challenging to share their favourite resources, staff respond with clear explanations about what is expected behaviour, delivered with an acknowledgement of how difficult this is for some children. They are compassionate, yet clear that the boundaries of the setting are important. As a result of these key messages being reinforced so well, children demonstrate superb behaviour and there is a harmonious atmosphere across the whole setting.

Strong relationships are a key strength of the setting. Staff model positive engagements and collaboration and children have superb role models to copy. As a result, children's interactions with each other are of the highest quality. Attendance levels are very high and this is monitored closely by leaders. They provide support to parents, where required, and offer flexibility around sessions, which helps families to access the nursery even during changes to their circumstances.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Hygiene practices do not promote children's health effectively. Regular cleaning of sleep mats is not undertaken often enough and sanitised hand drying facilities are not consistently provided. Some children share a towel that comes into contact with the floor in the bathroom. Young children are not always seated securely for meals, which compromises their safety.

Information about routines is collected before children start and plans put in place to replicate them to help children settle quickly. The key-person system is fully embedded and implemented well, with relations between staff and children being very positive. Relationships with families are highly effective. Parents are encouraged to share information about events happening at home that may impact upon children's wellbeing so that additional support can be provided.

Children develop an understanding of emotions through engaging in regular conversations about different feelings that children experience. They learn to make positive choices regarding their physical health and access to the outdoors is part of daily routines. Children learn through planned activities about the importance of healthy practices, including daily tooth brushing, and staff encourage them to stay hydrated by drinking water. Food provided is healthy and menus shared with families. There are robust systems in place for managing food allergies and children's medical needs.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders do not effectively monitor staff to ensure that supervision of children while eating is consistently embedded, or that hygiene practices are implemented in line with policies. This has a detrimental impact upon children's welfare.

Leaders assess the impact the curriculum has on children's development. They have identified that specific changes to the outdoor area would improve access for children during inclement weather. A plan is already in place and work started, to implement improvements. A strength of the nursery is the high level of staff knowledge and the nurturing relationships they have with children. Leaders remind staff that they are valued and appreciated and levels of staff turnover are low. This provides a stable environment for children.

Leaders ensure that there are relevant training opportunities for staff, which helps them meet children's emerging needs. It also fosters a culture of investment in their team's personal development, helping them feel valued. The workload of staff is managed well and they are provided with time to complete relevant training. They have sufficient time to complete their activities without feeling under pressure. Leaders place the needs of children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or delays in their learning, at the forefront of their decision-making. They support staff in completing targeted training to help them support individual children effectively.