Beis Ruchel Creche

Inclusion: Expected standard

Staff typically understand the importance of identifying children who may require additional support to help them make progress. They know children well and work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure that emerging needs are recognised and responded to appropriately. Staff identify children who experience delays in their development and work in partnership with parents to provide targeted support that meets their individual needs. For example, they implement daily activities and exercises to promote children's physical development and strengthen their gross motor skills. Staff regularly monitor children's progress and adapt the support they provide to help children make continued progress from their starting points.

Where additional support is required, leaders make timely referrals, with parents' consent, to access appropriate external advice and services. They work effectively with families and other professionals to help ensure children receive the support they need. Children who may face barriers to their learning are carefully monitored by their key persons. Staff remain alert to changes in children's development and wellbeing and share any concerns promptly with the designated lead. This helps to ensure that emerging needs are identified early and that children receive appropriate support without delay.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that supports children to make progress across all areas of learning. They generally have a secure understanding of what they want children to learn and identify appropriate next steps that reflect children's individual stages of development. Overall, staff plan a range of activities that support children's learning and generally promote their curiosity and thinking. For example, babies enjoy exploring water painting, experiencing the sensation of the cool paintbrush bristles on their skin. Staff encourage children to investigate the different textures, helping to develop their sensory awareness. Staff engage with older children enthusiastically in imaginative play as they use real pasta in the role-play kitchen. Staff use these experiences to encourage conversation and extend children's understanding.

Staff communicate effectively with children in both Yiddish and English. This helps children to understand instructions, develop their communication skills and feel secure in an environment that reflects their home language. Children engage well in the activities provided. For example, children enjoy mark making with different resources such as stamps and crayons. Staff generally support children's learning well through their interactions. They respond to children's questions and comment on what they are doing. Leaders recognise that they could do even more in this respect to further develop children's language skills.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children are happy and settled and make appropriate progress from their starting points during their time at the setting. For example, children who have never experienced being away from their main carers settle quickly into the setting and begin to form relationships with other children. They also develop secure relationships with their key persons and confidently seek them out for reassurance and comfort, supporting their personal, social and emotional development. Children are developing their independence skills, which supports them to be prepared for their next stage in learning, including school. For example, children choose what activities they would like to engage with. Older children develop their writing using a tripod grip and begin to make meaningful marks on the paper.

Children who face barriers to their learning are included fully in the life of the setting. Staff support communication and understanding. For example, they ask children questions during activities and label items through routines. This helps children to participate confidently in activities and make progress alongside their peers.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders have set high expectations for children's behaviours, attitudes and establishing routines. However, there are inconsistencies for particular groups of children. This is particularly evident during lunchtime, where some children are not consistently supported to sit safely and follow expectations. For example, children climb on tables and leave the table with food in their mouths, or before staff intend for them to do so. While some staff are aware this is not safe practice and support children to remain seated, not all staff are confident with the expectations of children during mealtimes to reduce risks.

Staff caring for particular groups of children do not consistently address children's behaviour or reinforce clear boundaries. For example, when children draw on themselves, some staff do not support them to understand appropriate use of resources. As a result, children do not always develop a secure understanding of expected behaviours and routines. Leaders have begun to take appropriate action. However, this is still in the early stages and has not yet had the desired impact intended.

Overall, staff have positive relationships with children and generally use praise to encourage positive behaviour. However, some staff are less confident in supporting children's behaviour consistently, which means that expectations are not always the same for all children. Leaders maintain regular contact with parents to monitor children's attendance. Overall, children generally have positive attitudes towards their learning and enjoy playing alongside their peers. For example, children engage in imaginative play outdoors, pushing dolls in prams together and copying familiar experiences from home.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Children benefit from positive relationships with staff who know them well and support their emotional wellbeing. Staff provide reassurance and comfort when children need it, helping them feel safe and secure. Children access outdoor play every day and enjoy opportunities to be physically active. For example, children confidently use bikes and scooters with their friends and follow chalk road maps that staff create. They use nursery climbing equipment and slide down happily with their peers.

Across the setting, not all staff consistently promote children's health and safety during mealtimes. Staff do not typically follow the setting's policies and procedures for healthy eating, and they do not consistently monitor foods that children bring from home. Some staff do not always prepare food safely for children. For example, they do not consistently cut food into suitable sizes to reduce potential risks during eating. Not all staff are consistently aware of the importance of good oral hygiene and the setting's policies and do not encourage children to only drink water while at the setting.

Leaders have identified that some staff need further guidance and training to strengthen their knowledge of safe food preparation, healthy eating practices and how to promote children's independence during mealtimes. However, policies and procedures are not implemented well enough within particular groups of children to consistently promote children's welfare and wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have a broad understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for improvement. However, they do not yet have sufficient oversight of the consistency of practice across the setting. Leaders have identified where staff require additional training and support. However, this has not yet had the desired impact. As a result, children's experiences vary between rooms. For example, routines and behaviour expectations are not embedded for older children. This has a negative impact on their experiences at the setting.

Leaders have recognised that some staff need further support to strengthen their knowledge of child development and have taken steps to address this. For instance, they have created a planning and curriculum role, which has supported staff understanding of how to plan for children's individual needs. However, they have not yet fully embedded improvements to ensure that all staff consistently have high expectations for children's behaviour and transitioning between routines.

Overall, leaders understand what makes their setting unique and have high expectations for children's learning. They maintain effective relationships with other professionals when needed to keep up to date with current guidance and changes within the sector. Leaders use these relationships to support their own professional development and improve their practice to further support the team.

Leaders have robust systems in place to check the ongoing suitability of staff and understand their duties in safer recruitment. For example, staff meet regularly with leaders and managers to discuss their practice, any concerns and changes that may affect their suitability to work with children. Leaders also hold regular team meetings and ensure updates are shared with the team and expectations reinforced for their own development.