Bexley Snap Short Breaks

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children begin their journey at the setting with diagnosed needs. Leaders and staff monitor needs effectively through frequent observations, to ensure they can identify changes quickly. Leaders typically have high expectations for children in their care. They support children to flourish and progress from their starting points. Leaders create individual support plans and collaborate well with external agencies. Staff break down children's next steps in learning and generate these individually. This ensures each child's needs are taken into consideration. Children generally progress well from this tailored approach. Staff typically support children's understanding and focus. However, sometimes, there are inconsistencies in how staff encourage children's engagement in short focus-time activities. This means that children do not always receive consistent expectations throughout the day.

Leaders are knowledgeable on how to support children's development and care needs. They invite external agencies to offer advice, which staff implement into their practice. For example, they offer speech and language support with visual pictures to express needs. They also visit the setting frequently to work directly with children. Staff generally gain opportunities to develop through observing external professionals' practice. This allows children to learn through consistent learning styles.

Leaders have an understanding of how to use additional funding, such as early years pupil premium and speech and language supplements. For example, they use funding to support children's interests through resources, especially to fit sensory and physical needs. Leaders also enrich experiences for children with additional funding, such as physical and musical sessions that are specific to children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, identified through children's interests.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have created a curriculum that supports children's individual needs. The curriculum covers all areas of learning, specifically focusing on children's communication and language, personal, social and physical development. Staff make adaptations to activities to ensure children with varied needs achieve well from their starting points. For example, due to the high staff ratio, children can explore through the physical and sensory room freely, according to their interests, with their needs met. The curriculum is typically delivered well by staff. However, not all staff consistently encourage children to join in and engage. This means that not all children consistently access the intended learning and fully benefit from the experiences.

Staff focus on children's communication and language development through appropriate language and gesture used in interactions, use of song and reading appropriate stories. Children engage in small-group song times, where their voice is heard through decision-making. Children use pictures of typical nursery rhymes to identify their preferences. Children have free-flow access to a range of stories, with sensory aspects, such as touch and feel materials. Children respond well to these and show excitement during singing and story times.

Staff prioritise children's physical development through activity and outdoor play. Children explore their physical skills confidently and comfortably with support from staff. Children are offered soft-play apparatus, slides, balancing beams and stepping stones. Staff create activities that support children's small-muscle development. Staff encourage mathematical learning integrated into activities. They encourage children to extend their learning, adding to what they already know. For example, through exploring number puzzles, children identify numerals independently. Staff extend this by supporting children to add and compare amounts using objects.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children develop well from their starting points, particularly in their communication, physical and social development, through support plans that are tailored to individual needs. They thrive because their achievement goals are specific to them. Children explore the role-play area, where they imitate daily routines such as cooking, using pretend utensils, expressing their imaginations and focus. Children independently identify ways to communicate. They use and imitate single words and simple sentences when engaging with staff and use visuals to express themselves when needed.

Children receive support and encouragement to be ready for the next stages of their lives. They explore and use their independence, such as feeding themselves, making activity choices and beginning toilet training journeys. Children generally develop personal skills, such as focus, by engaging in short story and song times, which are adult-led and based around their interests.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children build positive relationships with leaders and staff, which are warm and trusting. Children confide in staff when they need to regulate their emotions, through physical comfort or distraction into another activity. Children generally make progress in their social development among each other, where they are offered a balance of interactive play and solo play.

Staff have a rich understanding of how each child communicates, for example whether they use language or gesture. Staff typically positively praise children for all achievements, as well as act as positive role models. If conflicts arise, staff typically promote kindness and respect by enforcing boundaries such as 'kind hands' and 'no throwing'.

Children are generally introduced to routines and boundaries that are appropriate for varied abilities. Adult-led times are structured into the day, such as small-group activities using a bucket and objects. Children show excitement for these group activities. As a result, children build on their focus and attention and become comfortable in small groups. While children are supported, at times there are inconsistencies in how staff approach focus activities and how children are encouraged to refocus. As a result, children can be unsure of what is expected of them.

Leaders promote the importance of attendance effectively. Leaders ensure that staff and parents and carers are aware of the policies and procedures in place. They ensure that absences are reported in a timely manner, recorded and monitored over time. As a result, parents understand the importance of consistent attendance and how it affects routine.

The setting also offers short-break sessions for early years children. Children attend the setting with their parents and play within the setting with familiar staff. This encourages continuity and routine, especially if the children attending the short-break sessions also attend the nursery setting.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders create and offer a safe and welcoming environment to all children attending the nursery setting and short-break sessions. Staff are knowledgeable of policies and procedures and put them into practice effectively. Children have access to indoor and outdoor learning. Staff generally give equal learning opportunities between these, such as pretend play using babies in the garden with buggies, which children explore on a larger scale.

Children receive encouragement to follow hygiene routines, such as washing their hands and nappy changes. Leaders implement strategies, such as using real-life objects to reference routines, to support children's understanding. For instance, they show children a nappy for changing time. Children respond well to this, forming an understanding of what is happening next.

Staff typically support children with their emotional wellbeing. Children understand and regulate their feelings through the implementation of timely warnings before transitions. For example, staff use a numbered board, detaching each number and showing them to the children, counting down to the next transition. Children benefit from this as they are prepared for what is coming next, supporting their emotions.

Leaders ensure there is an effective key-person system in place, where the focus is around children's development and progress. All staff have responsibility for caregiving to the children. As a result, children form positive and warm relationships with all staff, securing their comfort.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the management of the setting is effective and welcoming. Leaders generally ensure that staff are supported and have opportunities to develop their practice. However, they have not focused professional development on increasing staff's confidence and responsibility in planning and reviewing support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, as leaders ensure that support plans are completed and remain up to date, this does not hugely impact on children. However, this will further enable key persons to take greater responsibility for completing and reviewing these plans. It will also strengthen staff's knowledge, confidence and ownership of children's individual support. Staff state that they feel supported by leaders, that they receive feedback on their practice and that their wellbeing is prioritised. Staff feel valued and appreciated by leaders. As a result, children learn from dedicated staff who are passionate about their work.

Leaders typically use staff and parental feedback, as well as their own conclusions, to identify strengths and areas of improvement for the setting. This ensures the setting is continuously striving to improve. While leaders recognise their areas of improvement and have ambitious goals, these are not consistently embedded yet. As a result, the impact on children due to some minor weaknesses in practice has not been identified. Leaders have created an excellent partnership with parents and carers, built on positive communication and support. Parents praise the support that the setting, both the early years nursery and early years sessions, provides. They state that a community for parents has been formed, creating comfort. Leaders ensure that communication is effective through an online app, where staff share progress and daily updates in a timely manner. Leaders also ensure that parents are knowledgeable of what their child is working on and how to support them. Children benefit from the consistency in their learning between the home and setting, creating continuity.