Bluebells Day Nursery & Preschool

Inclusion: Needs attention

Staff identify children who may need further support, due to a range of factors, through observations. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those who face barriers to achievement or children who speak English as an additional language. Overall, staff share some information with parents, but conversations are not always in enough depth to learn more about children's experiences at home to give a thorough understanding of their development.

Leaders have received training in order to fulfil their roles to support children with SEND and those with barriers to achievement. Leaders engage with other professionals to receive further guidance and support. Upon review of children's progress, staff share positive steps made by children when implementing agreed strategies. However, the implementation of the agreed strategies is inconsistent. Weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching for children with SEND and barriers to achievement mean that there is not enough focus on children learning new skills through activities. In addition, before external professional input, there is less support for children that is fully effective. This limits the removal of barriers children face in order to reach their full potential.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Children have the opportunity to take part in daily activities, and these generally cover all areas of learning. For example, toddlers explore paint and learn to manipulate dough. However, the overall curriculum is not always planned or sequenced well enough to ensure that children's individual learning needs are suitably met at all times. This includes for children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Older children are often taught in large groups, and staff are not able to adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all children. This means that children's engagement in learning is variable. At times, learning is happening more by chance, including for mathematical and communication and language development, as there is not a precise enough focus on helping children to gain new skills that are relevant to them.

Staff monitor children's development to assess the progress they are making, and children have planned next steps in their learning. They are aware of where children require further support. However, next steps are often too broad and not always taken into consideration or supported during planned activities. This means that children's development is not consistently supported to fully benefit them.

Achievement: Needs attention

Overall, children are making some progress in their learning and development from their individual starting points. This is particularly evident in their personal, social and emotional development as they settle into nursery life well.

Mostly, children benefit from interactions with staff and their peers to support their communication and language development. Children really enjoy using the garden to support their physical development and are animated when talking about what they would like to do. For example, they challenge themselves as they climb up to use the slide. However, due to the weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching, not all children receive learning opportunities that fully enhance their development in all areas of learning. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to achievement. This leaves some children less well prepared to start school than others.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders work with families on the importance of giving children the opportunity to spend time at nursery. This promotes attendance effectively. Mostly, staff support children's behaviour appropriately. For example, staff address any unwanted behaviour and are aware of children who may struggle with emotional regulation. Staff promote positive manners. However, at times, staff do not fully role model the nursery behaviour values or use a wide enough range of strategies to ensure that all children fully understand what is expected of them. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to achievement. At times, this includes communicating effectively in an age or developmentally appropriately way to support children appropriately.

Staff use fun ways to help children learn the routine when they go in the garden. For instance, children enthusiastically join in with staff to the actions of a rhyme. Children and staff form close bonds. For example, babies go to staff to share a toy of interest to them. Children build appropriate relationships and enjoy each other's company. For example, children learn to take turns and kick a ball back and forth in the garden.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Overall, leaders and staff implement appropriate policies and procedures to support children's welfare and wellbeing. For example, individual routines are followed for babies' and children's sleep, and staff carefully check on them for their safety and wellbeing. Children enjoy healthy mealtimes, and adaptations are made for children with dietary or food preferences appropriately. However, there are limited learning opportunities during these times. For example, snack time is focused on giving children the opportunity to eat preselected pre-cut food they have been given and to have a drink of water from a bottle. This aspect of the curriculum impacts opportunities that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have barriers to achievement, have to extend their skills further.

Children learn suitably about their personal hygiene skills as part of keeping themselves safe. For example, they know how to manage the spread of germs and cough into their arm should they need to. The key-person arrangements to support children's emotional development are secure. For instance, babies enjoy close cuddles with staff as they fall asleep, and older children feel secure in the company of staff.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have worked hard to develop aspects of practice that were previously highlighted and, overall, standards within the nursery have improved. For example, staff to child ratios have remained consistent and the overall floor space available for children has been developed to ensure that children have the room to play. However, leaders are making limited assessments about the quality of care and learning at the setting. They have not identified aspects of the curriculum and teaching that need further development, which results in inconsistent learning opportunities for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or barriers to achievement.

Staff report that they now have regular opportunities to share their ideas and views with leaders, for example through staff meetings. Staff report positive levels of wellbeing. They feel that their opinions are valued and taken into consideration by leaders. Staff complete training as part of their induction to the nursery to ensure that they have an appropriate understanding of their roles.

Parents comment that their children enjoy attending nursery and know that there are skills their children learn. However, they are not always sure of what staff are doing at the setting to support their children's individual learning.