Blooming Years Nursery & Pre-school

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders create a highly inclusive culture by identifying all children's individual needs at the earliest stage. They gather important information from parents and carers and understand the backgrounds children arrive from. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with barriers to their learning. Staff use ongoing observation and assessment to recognise emerging needs so they can put swift, targeted support in place. They work closely with a range of professionals, including physiotherapists and occupational health therapists, to ensure support is in place. This ensures that these children make rapid progress from their starting points.

Leaders ensure staff working with children with SEND receive training and are equipped with skills to provide extra support prior to formal referrals. For example, for children who have communication and language delays, they offer targeted group language sessions. Leaders establish excellent partnerships with professionals in the local authority to reflect on and continuously adapt the environment they offer. This helps ensure that any limits to children with SEND accessing the curriculum are reduced. Leaders use early years pupil premium funding to purchase garden resources and physical development training. They have designed a new physical education programme. The programme will equip staff to deliver physical activity across the week and enable children from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate fully alongside their peers.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders plan and design an ambitious curriculum that meets the individual needs of children who attend. They provide a wide range of experiences covering the breadth of the curriculum with a firm focus on the 3 prime areas of learning. Children's personal, social and emotional development is prioritised, giving them a secure base for future learning. Staff weave core books into activities. They build on children's knowledge through sensory and imaginative activities and use discussion time to recall stories. The well-designed outdoor area gives all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, the opportunity to challenge their physical skills and develop their understanding of the natural world.

Staff include mathematics in play and routines. Older children count as they climb stairs, toddlers use quantity and size language when playing with water, while babies count during songs. Leaders monitor and model staff teaching regularly. However, there is further scope to extend younger children's learning, for example by offering a more flexible routine and following their natural curiosity during play. Children are keen to be independent. Babies attempt to put on their aprons and older children self-serve meals and confidently dress themselves.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with any barriers to their learning, are progressing well from their starting points. Children show high levels of confidence, taking the lead during play and speaking about their emotions in group sessions. Children have built learning over time. Babies develop motor skills, squeezing paint between their hands. Toddlers manipulate play dough and use mark-making tools. Older children confidently write their names and develop firm skills for emergent reading and writing. They help set up for lunch, placing their friends' water bottles on the correct place mats by recognising their written names.

Children who are starting school are well prepared. They collaborate with others and show independence as they complete self-care and routine tasks. Older children line up to collect plates and cutlery, which they use appropriately.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children's behaviour across the setting is typically positive. Staff build firm relationships with children, where they model respect and offer them praise. Children use good manners at appropriate times and show a positive attitude to their learning. Staff use visual prompts to support babies to communicate their feelings and older children show care and consideration for others. Staff embed firm routines with children, and provide age-appropriate prompts to tidy up and explain what is happening next. For example, babies select pictures that represent parts of their routine and stick them on the board, and older children line up well to wash their hands before meals.

Leaders have clear expectations for how staff use positive reinforcement to manage children's behaviour. Staff gently remind older children to use their 'walking feet' and 'kind hands'. Staff support children to share and manage their own conflicts. They teach children about good and bad choices and what a consequence is. However, there is inconsistency in how staff promote positive behaviour in age-appropriate ways for the youngest children. For example, some staff do not consistently use positive language to promote behaviour. Leaders manage attendance and punctuality effectively, with robust monitoring processes in place. This ensures that all children, including those with any barriers to learning, can access their full sessions.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children settle quickly into the safe, welcoming environment where they feel emotionally secure. Children have close bonds with staff, who offer consistent reassurance and support their individual needs. For children with any barriers to their learning or those who may become overwhelmed, staff use swift strategies to help them manage their feelings. For example, they encourage older children to use breathing techniques to help them feel calm, and they cuddle and sing with babies to comfort them.

Children typically develop an understanding of how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They wash their hands at appropriate times with support, and older children confidently look in the mirror to brush their teeth after lunch. Children benefit from nutritious, healthy meals prepared by the chef, and children comment how much they enjoy their food. At mealtimes, staff remind older children to finish eating before talking and encourage toddlers to regularly drink water. However, teaching about healthy choices is not consistent for all children. For example, during mealtimes, staff do not consistently teach children about the benefits of the food they eat to help them establish healthy habits for the future. Children access the garden every day to get fresh air and enhance their overall wellbeing. This also benefits children who may not have regular access to outdoor spaces.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision and accurately identify the setting's strengths and acknowledge areas of development. They are committed to providing high-quality care and education consistently for every child. Staff typically report that their wellbeing is well supported and discuss how professional development is improving their practice. Leaders have recently begun to identify some aspects of practice in the nursery that they want to improve, especially with younger age groups. They are becoming a more visible presence within rooms to model practice and are developing an accurate oversight to ensure staff receive personalised training and support. However, the arrangements for evaluating and addressing areas for development are not yet consistent. This means that actions to build on practice are not implemented as swiftly as they could be.

Leaders foster effective partnerships with parents and carers. Leaders plan to strengthen this further by introducing parenting support programmes. They plan to provide guidance on internet safety, challenging behaviour at home and how to manage screen time. Parents speak highly of staff and the fantastic support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders have an excellent understanding of how best to spend additional funding for disadvantaged children. They regularly review the impact and make thoughtful adjustments to ensure these children consistently make excellent progress.

Leaders establish excellent links with the local authority and share in-house documents to support best practice across the borough. Leaders stay up to date with relevant updates and put immediate action in place. For example, following recent safe sleep guidance, they have reviewed sleeping arrangements and introduced a safer sleep audit.