Bensham Grove Nursery School at the Elgin Centre

Inclusion: Exceptional

The nursery supports a very high proportion of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning. Many children who attend have complex needs. Leaders and staff have a transformational impact on the lives of children. They take time to get to know children and their families incredibly well. This helps them to truly understand children's lived experiences. Staff sensitively tailor the setting to help children settle. Some children have experienced significant trauma, and staff are highly trained to support them and their families. Staff build trust and understanding that helps children gain a sense of belonging. Parents are wholeheartedly positive about the setting. They build secure relationships with staff that help them support their children to attend regularly and establish positive attitudes to learning. Staff share detailed information with parents, as well as training, to help them support their children at home.

Staff are extremely well trained. They have a wealth of knowledge and take swift and effective action when they identify any gaps in children's learning. Children who face barriers to their learning receive prompt targeted support that helps them to develop their social and emotional skills. Staff prioritise children's wellbeing. The use of additional funding that children receive is used insightfully to support children's precise needs. This includes providing children with sensory support delivered by purposely trained staff. Some children experience emotional difficulties and can become very upset at times. They benefit from staff's highly effective interventions that help them gain increasing control so they can access learning. These timely interventions help children to catch up to their peers.

Teachers at the local school say that they receive highly detailed information before children start school. They continue to work with the setting to plan the most effective ways to support children, including planning access to the sensory interventions to build on established routines. This provides children with consistency to help them self-regulate and sustain regular attendance in the next stage of their education.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have a precise overview of the curriculum that they teach. They ensure all children receive a broad and balanced curriculum. Children's physical development is embedded throughout the day. For example, children stack and balance building blocks when they arrive. Two-year-old children learn to pour their own drinks. Assessments are precise and identify where further support is needed. Leaders take decisive action when they identify areas where children need further support. For instance, staff are highly trained in communication and language. Staff plan targeted language support, and their interactions are of a consistent high quality. They plan specific words to support this in the different areas of the room. For example, staff introduce and model words 'pat, pat'. When children start to use these words independently, they introduce new words, such as 'sprinkle'. Children engage in back-and-forth conversations with staff who value their thoughts and ideas and listen with interest. This helps children build high levels of self-esteem. Communication and language underpin the curriculum. For instance, children build on their knowledge of rhyme as they listen to mathematical stories. The actions that leaders take to help children who face barriers to their learning have a significant impact on children's attitudes to learning. Staff place a high priority on children's personal and social development. They respond sensitively to children's needs when they arrive and adapt their practice accordingly. These adjustments help children to flourish. For example, children who are unsure and tearful when they arrive, respond to staff's nurturing approach and soon become fully engaged in sand play, communicating with staff.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make impressive progress from their starting points. They are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning settle quickly on arrival. They thoroughly enjoy developing their physical skills as they build with blocks and explore how different-shaped blocks fit on top of each other. Children look at books; they show their developing literacy skills as they handle books correctly, turn pages and understand the difference between the text and illustrations. They practise their counting skills as they count the number of objects on each page. Older children recognise numbers to 10. Expert support from staff ensures that children make rapid progress in communication and language. For example, children engage in conversations with staff as they recall what they have been doing. Younger children benefit from the focused key vocabulary that staff reinforce as children play.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children have very secure relationships with their key person and other children. They arrive happily and settle to activities with their friends. Children eagerly help each other to build towers with blocks. Staff welcome all children individually, taking account of all children's precise needs. They take time to talk to each child, helping them build a true sense of belonging. Staff adapt the routines to support children who face barriers to their learning. This is evident as staff adjust their groupings in the morning to provide additional reassurance to those children who need it. Children quickly get to know the routines in nursery and thrive as they begin to anticipate what comes next. Children eagerly tidy up in anticipation of the welcome time with their key person, saying what song comes next. Staff implement all policies consistently This supports all children, including those who are disadvantaged, to manage their feelings and behaviour. Staff have very clear boundaries that they consistently reinforce. When children leave the table while still eating snack, children are asked if they want to sit and eat or finish eating. Staff gently guide children back to the table to eat. This leads to an incredibly calm and purposeful learning environment. Leaders work with parents to help them to understand the impact of regular attendance. They use a range of strategies, such as increasing hours or providing lunch, to ensure children attend and benefit from the learning opportunities provided. When necessary, leaders use funding to remove any barriers to attendance that exist.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children benefit from highly responsive relationships with staff. Staff recognise the importance of giving some children extra time to settle and join in. These strategies are highly effective in giving children the confidence to try things for themselves. For example, children who are new to the setting rely on familiar children when they arrive. They gradually become more confident to try things themselves until they have the confidence to access all areas of the nursery independently. Staff provide a range of opportunities for children to develop their small and large control and coordination. For example, children use a dustpan and brush with impressive control to sweep up the sand so that it is safe for other children. Staff support children consistently well to manage their feelings and emotions. They take time to talk to children, acknowledge how they are feeling and identify strategies that help them to regulate their behaviour and emotions. During the inspection, children who have previously struggled to regulate their feelings demonstrate superb self-control for their age. When other children take the play dough and tools they are using, they calmly move themselves away from the table using effective self-regulation strategies. Staff teach children the importance of washing their hands before they eat. They provide a range of healthy snacks, such as breadsticks and fruit. Leaders ensure fruit and water are readily available. As they eat, children explain why fruit is good for them. They share detailed information with parents about food safety. Leaders also provide a food bank for those who need it to further support healthy lifestyles. Staff adapt routines to support children's individual needs, such as providing quiet time for children who need to sleep.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have developed meaningful and supportive relationship with parents. Parents say that the staff go above and beyond to support their children and the whole family. The partnership working that the nursery has established with a range of professionals has helped them to get invaluable and timely support. Leaders take decisive action to support all children, including those who are disadvantaged or face barriers to their learning. Funding is used efficiently to ensure best possible outcomes for children. This has included setting up a staffed sensory hub to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure that children have consistent access to a calming environment to maintain their emotional regulation. Leaders ensure that staff are extremely well trained. For example, they attend a range of training to allow them to carry out specialist interventions. This has had a significant impact on children's concentration, communication and interaction. Leaders have a precise overview of their strengths and areas for development. They set clear targets for improvement. They have a established a highly effective coaching system. This enables staff to constantly reflect and improve their practice in line with the nursery priorities. Leaders focus specifically on staff's wellbeing. Staff are given time to complete their planning and preparation during the working day. They also have time and space to reflect on their work as a team.