Blundellsands Kindergarten

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have created an established culture of inclusion where children and families are known well, and individual circumstances are carefully considered. They identify children's needs early and work closely with parents to ensure support remains responsive. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), children in receipt of additional funding, such as early years pupil premium, and those known to children's social care. Additional funding is used purposefully to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. For example, leaders purchase resources to support children's individual developmental and emotional needs. Leaders regularly review children's progress and adapt support where required.

Leaders take effective action to reduce barriers that children and families may face. They work closely with a range of professionals, such as social workers, speech and language therapists and health professionals. They use their advice to adapt provision, routines and support strategies. This helps children access the curriculum, promotes emotional wellbeing and ensures support remains relevant as children's needs change.

Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting vulnerable children and families. They carefully consider children's individual experiences and circumstances and make thoughtful adjustments to help ensure children are fully included in the life of the setting. Parents speak highly of the support they receive and value the strong relationships they have with staff. As a result, children, including those who face disadvantage, those with SEND and those known to children's social care, are fully included and make progress from their starting points.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that reflects children's interests, experiences and individual needs. Staff know children well and use observations, assessment and discussions with parents to identify next steps and plan learning. Communication and language are prioritised effectively across the setting. Staff create language-rich environments and use open-ended questioning to encourage children to share ideas, explain their thinking and extend vocabulary. For example, younger children engage in role play in the 'Toddler Café', where they take orders and make purposeful marks as an introduction to early writing. Older children build on this as they create potions outdoors, describing smells and distinguishing between lemons and limes. Children develop the skills they require for their next stage of learning.

Staff weave mathematical learning naturally into play. Younger children explore quantities, fill and empty containers and solve simple problems. Older children build on this as they use tape measures to compare and identify the lengths of 'dinosaur bones' found in the sand. This supports children to develop securely in mathematics. Furthermore, staff plan the curriculum for physical development around children's next steps. For example, younger children develop strength, coordination and control through transporting resources. older children engage in ball games and a range of outdoor experiences to support their next steps.

The quality of teaching is typically secure. Staff interact well during play and small-group activities. For example, staff extend children's understanding of the wider world through activities linked to their interests, such as learning about different countries through World Cup-themed play. This supports children to develop confidence, independence and a broad understanding of the world. However, during larger group sessions, teaching is not always adapted to ensure all children remain engaged, and opportunities to extend learning are sometimes missed.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make progress from their starting points across the curriculum. They develop confidence in their abilities and communicate their ideas, experiences and interests with increasing ease. Parents report significant improvements in their children's communication and language skills since attending the setting. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those in receipt of additional funding and those known to children's social care, benefit from support that helps them access learning and make progress.

Children develop increasing independence through everyday routines and experiences. They confidently manage personal care tasks, make choices about their play and take responsibility for simple tasks. Older children develop the confidence and skills needed for their move to school and benefit from opportunities to become familiar with their future teachers before they leave the setting.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children are happy, settled and demonstrate a strong sense of belonging. They form positive relationships with staff and their friends and confidently welcome one another into play. Children understand daily routines and expectations. They respond positively to instructions, tidy away resources when asked and move between activities with confidence. As a result, the setting is calm and orderly and children feel secure.

Children's behaviour is typically positive. They generally play cooperatively, show consideration for others and respond well to reminders from staff. However, staff do not always reinforce expectations consistently when supporting children to listen to others, wait for their turn and manage their behaviour. For example, when some children become distracted, they occasionally push their friends to gain attention and opportunities to reinforce expectations are sometimes missed. As a result, opportunities to further strengthen children's social skills, participation and positive attitudes towards learning are not always maximised.

Leaders recognise the importance of regular attendance and monitor attendance patterns closely. They work with families to identify and address barriers to attendance where these arise. This helps children access their entitlement and benefit from the experiences on offer.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children benefit from warm and nurturing relationships with staff who know them well and understand their individual needs and circumstances. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to help ensure children receive the care and support they need. As a result, children feel emotionally secure and confidently seek reassurance and support from familiar adults.

Staff promote children's health and wellbeing through meaningful experiences and discussions. Children develop a secure understanding of how to keep themselves healthy, including making balanced food choices and recognising the importance of caring for their bodies. They confidently explain that sun cream helps reduce the risk of their skin burning and understand why it is important to drink water to help keep them hydrated during hot weather. As a result, children are developing healthy lifestyle habits that support their ongoing health and wellbeing.

Staff support children's emotional wellbeing sensitively and help them recognise, understand and talk about their feelings through a range of strategies, such as discussions, books and the use of mirrors to explore facial expressions. This helps children develop confidence, resilience and a positive sense of self. However, opportunities to help children develop their understanding of personal safety and risk are not always fully maximised. While staff address potential risks quickly, they do not consistently explain why actions may be unsafe. As a result, opportunities to further develop children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe are sometimes missed.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths of the setting and are committed to continual improvement. Following a period of staffing changes after the previous inspection, leaders have successfully established a more stable team. They regularly reflect on practice, seek feedback from parents and staff and identify areas for further development.

Leaders promote staff wellbeing and have established systems to support staff in their roles. Mandatory training is completed and staff receive coaching, supervision and guidance to support their professional development. However, leaders do not always demonstrate how professional development is precisely targeted, implemented and reviewed to address identified weaknesses in practice. As a result, improvements in teaching are not always embedded consistently across the setting.

Leaders work in partnership with parents and a range of professionals to help ensure children and families receive the support they need. They respond positively to individual circumstances and make decisions that are in children's best interests. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those in receipt of additional funding and those known to children's social care.