Billy & Boo Virginia Water

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff are dedicated to creating an environment where every child benefits from consistently inclusive practice. They spend quality time building trusting and secure relationships with children and their families. This ensures they feel valued right from the start. Staff carry out meticulous assessments, and working closely with specialists within the nursery closely, they closely monitor each child's development. Alongside detailed information sharing with parents and carers, this ensures that the learning priorities of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with barriers to their learning are immediately tailored to the individual needs of the child. Leaders work closely with the local authority and professionals, such as speech and language therapists involved in children's care. They make sure staff have the specific training, guidance, confidence and expertise to support children with SEND effectively.

Careful tracking enables leaders to evaluate children's development accurately and respond effectively to changing needs. The highly effective dedication of the staff team, and the continuous parentship working with parents and specialists involved in children's care, ensures strategies are adapted to help every child achieve their full potential. As a result, all children, including those with SEND and barriers to their learning make sustained progress, and develop the skills needed for the next stage of their education. Staff hold meetings with teachers and specialists within receiving schools to help ensure the transition process is smooth for both children and their families. Leaders use additional funding strategically to enhance opportunities for disadvantaged children and those children with SEND. This includes providing additional staffing to support one-to-one care and purchasing sensory resources. Leaders prioritise staff development.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum is well sequenced, and leaders ensure that it is typically taught well. Leaders and staff use assessments to check progress and to prevent children from falling behind. They successfully adapt the curriculum for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Staff place emphasis on communication and developing relationships so that children respect their peers, talk openly about their feelings and develop positive friendships. They support children's curiosity effectively and introduce ambitious vocabulary during play that builds on children's interests of sea creatures for example. Staff encourage children to problem-solve and to talk through their ideas. However, on occasion, staff's interactions do not consistently focus on the differing age groups of children taking part in activities. This slightly hinders children's learning.

Children enjoy a rich outdoor curriculum. Staff support children's social skills and physical development effectively. For example, following children's lead, they give children encouragement to make adaptions to the obstacle course. This supports children core strength as they work together to lift and replace natural resources. Children show resilience and keep trying, while thinking about their personal safety. With support from staff, all children are motivated learners who confidently

Achievement: Expected standard

All children typically achieve well at the nursery and are developing the skills needed for the next stage in their education. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers consistently receive the support their need to reach individual milestones. All children show good manners. Non-verbal children or those with speech and language delay, use gestures and touch, or confidently use visual aids to show appreciation. Children of different ages know the boundaries and expectations of the setting. They are independent and follow their routines of the setting with confidence. Children are developing the large muscles in the arms, and the small muscles in their hands and fingers. They express themselves as they paint and delight in talking about their drawing. They roll and manipulate dough into shapes, using their hands or the tools available. All children are confident communicators and can express their needs well.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently promote high expectations for every child. They foster a culture where all children are valued. As a result, all children are highly motivated and show positive attitudes to their learning. Staff consistently provide calm, caring reassurance, resulting in exemplary behaviour throughout the setting. For example, children show kindness to others and excellent negotiation skills as they swap resources while washing their cars. They can name and express their emotions, and staff celebrate children's successes when they manage conflicts successfully. Staff quickly recognise when children encounter barriers to their learning or wellbeing and respond with timely, tailored support. For example, they offer additional strategies, such as visual aids, or sensitively support children in the cosy calming area with resources of interest.

Children approach learning with enthusiasm. For example, they roll and race resources, such as hoops, and learn to take safe risks as they jump through them guided by their friends and staff. Through consistent guidance and carefully planned strategies, staff help children develop the skills needed to settle into daily routines. They give those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities the time and support they need to adapt to transitions through the day. Staff respect children's achievements and ensure they can return to their activities after their lunch for example. This creates an atmosphere of respect. Leaders work in close partnership with families to promote the importance of regular attendance, which ensures children gain the greatest benefit from their time at the setting. They respond promptly and appropriately whenever concerns arise to support children's welfare and continued engagement.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are given high priority. Nurturing relationships, predictable routines and an inclusive learning environment, ensure children feel safe, valued and secure. Staff foster secure attachments, which enables children to build positive relationships with their key person, staff and their peers. Children are encouraged to become increasingly independent in managing their own personal care needs. They confidently pour their own drinks and demonstrate growing confidence in caring for themselves as they clean up any spillages for instance. Promoting healthy lifestyles and supporting children's emotional wellbeing are embedded in the settings ethos. Staff work extremely closely with parents and carers to support healthy lunches, and engage children in active discussions about the benefits of eating healthy food.

Through highly effective training, staff have the skills required to support children in recognising and communicating their emotions effectively. This helps children develop a secure understanding of their feelings and learn strategies to regulate their emotions. For example, children confidently access calming spaces, the dark den and sensory resources, where staff swiftly ensure they receive the support they need. Staff embed inclusive practice throughout the setting, ensuring that every child is valued and fully included in all aspects of learning. Parents and carers play an active role in the setting and contribute to children's experiences. For example, they visit to share cultural traditions, such as teaching cultural dances, which children participate in with great enthusiasm and enjoyment. This supports a sense of belonging at the setting.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a commitment to self-evaluation, generally recognising both strengths and areas for further improvement. However, they need to continue to monitor staff practice to ensure teaching consistently reflects on the different age groups of children. Leaders identify relevant professional development opportunities that ensure staff have the knowledge, skills and confidence to reduce barriers to learning. For example, recent training has had a positive impact on staff understanding of children's behaviour and how to respond to their differing needs. Leaders work closely with staff and carefully consider their wellbeing, as well as well as their workload. Staff speak positively about the encouragement and support they receive from leaders.

Leaders are sensitive and supportive to the diverse needs of parents, carers and families and work closely with them to effectively promote children's regular attendance. They are proactive in building working relationships with external professionals to provide those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to their learning with consistent support. Highly effective communication and partnerships with parents has a positive impact on children's learning, progress and wellbeing.