Bright Horizons New Eltham Day Nursery and Preschool

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff monitor children's progress and development to identify gaps. They put appropriate support plans in place, working closely with parents to help children with special educational needs and//or disabilities (SEND) and those facing barriers to their learning, make steady progress. Leaders understand the long waiting times for children to be formally assessed for external interventions and, in the main, put measures in place to help reduce barriers to learning. However, leaders are not always swift enough to refer children who may require statutory support due to their needs to help ensure that they make consistent, secure progress and barriers to their learning are swiftly addressed.

Leaders have structured their curriculum in way that meets the different learning needs of children. For example, leaders and staff recognise that some children who have sensitivity to noise learn better outdoors. Therefore, they provide a lot of enrichment activities, including regular forest school sessions for children to explore nature and maintain calmness. This adaptation to the curriculum has ensured that children with SEND and those with other barriers to learning can engage and learn effectively. Leaders know how to access and utilise additional funding to improve outcomes for children who may be disadvantaged.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum is thoughtfully planned to enhance every aspect of learning, both inside and outdoors. Leaders have a clear understanding of the curriculum and how to put this into practice. They plan efficiently to support children's individual needs. Leaders and staff make necessary adjustments to ensure that every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or barriers to their learning, can learn and achieve well.

A strength of the curriculum is its emphasis on physical development. From an early age, leaders and staff provide many opportunities for children to develop core strength and manage age-appropriate risks successfully while undertaking forest school activities. For example, 2- and 3-year-old children take risks as they learn how to walk through brambles. They get in and out of a small, low hammock, using all limbs and core strength to attempt and achieve this. They have fun doing it with staff by their side, offering support and guidance.

Staff typically provide a language-rich environment where children show delight at looking at and reading familiar books with staff. Staff working with the youngest children ensure that they position themselves so babies can see their facial movements. Staff babble back to babies to introduce the concept of a conversation. However, at times, staff's interactions with children are not consistent to support all children to develop the confidence to talk and extend on what they already know. For example, quieter children are not always encouraged to take part in discussions during group-time activities. Additionally, staff do not always make the most of opportunities arising from children's play to deepen children's early mathematical knowledge.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children achieve well across all areas of learning and learn skills for the future. Toddler-aged children show increasing independence as they tidy away resources and help to wipe tables for lunch. Babies confidently join in singing rhymes and copying actions. They begin to develop manual dexterity skills as they pick up objects and put them in containers. Pre-school-aged children apply their mathematical knowledge as they match numbers to quantity.

Children demonstrate that they know the behaviour expectations of the setting. For example, they listen attentively when staff provide instructions and confidently explain the forest school's rules. Children are sociable and play cooperatively with each other. They demonstrate kindness as they willingly share resources and take turns during learning experiences. They offer comfort and help to pull their friend up when they trip and fall. These qualities and skills help to prepare children well for future learning and life.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make steady progress from their starting points in learning. They feel included and engage well in small-group activities. However, those children who may require specialist intervention due to their emerging SEND needs do not receive the support they need quickly enough to help them make consistent, secure progress.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders place high priority on nurturing children to become respectful, confident and self-assured leaders. The curriculum is designed with the aim of supporting children to be emotionally secure and able to communicate and express their emotions. Staff promote children's behaviour well. Children receive regular praise from staff, helping to raise their self-esteem. Staff identify individual strategies for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to help manage their behaviour and emotions. This includes using visual prompts to support children's understanding of when to wait and take their turn to play with toys and resources.

Staff promote a positive culture of care and respect. They listen to children's views and respond appropriately. Children, generally, are encouraged to join in group activities, such as cooking and forest school learning where they discuss and share ideas. This helps children to form positive relationships with their peers and staff. Leaders share information with parents to help them understand the importance of children attending regularly. They recognise that this helps to provide consistent routines for children and promotes their welfare.

Children have formed positive bonds with staff and follow routines in the nursery. However, at times, the arrangement of staff does not ensure that children are cared for by consistent adults who know and understand their needs well. This is particularly evident in the baby room where some staff working with children do not know them well enough. This does not fully support children, especially those who are new to the setting, to settle quickly and become accustomed to the routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders regularly reflect on how children's wellbeing and welfare are promoted and make adaptations to benefit children's overall development. For instance, leaders have reviewed and improved risk assessment across the setting to ensure children's safety in relation to the environment and food. Staff deploy themselves well during mealtimes to ensure that children are supervised well.

Staff support children to learn how they can keep themselves safe and healthy. This includes providing children with opportunities to learn to eat healthily and stay active. Staff support children to understand healthy eating through cooking activities where they discuss the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables. Children learn to use knives safely to cut vegetables, and staff guide and support these activities.

Leaders and staff gather information from parents about children's care routines, likes and dislikes when they first start attending. This enables them to follow the same routines for children as at home, such as sleep times. However, minor weaknesses in the key-person arrangement do not ensure that new children settle quickly and become immersed in play and learning.

Leaders typically make sure that the needs of children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are met and care is tailored to suit every child's needs. They constantly review children's changing needs and see how best they can support and meet their needs to help promote their welfare and wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are aware of the setting's strengths and areas to improve. Leaders have identified key areas of the provision that they want to improve, such as reviewing transitions and providing more support for inexperienced staff to develop their knowledge and confidence. Leaders have plans to improve outcomes for disadvantaged and vulnerable children within the local community. They want to extend opportunities for these children to access the well-designed outdoor learning area. Leaders believe this opportunity would truly benefit these children and their families and make a long-lasting impact.

Leaders monitor staff's practice well and encourage them to self-reflect and identify which aspects of their practice they need to develop. Staff receive ongoing training to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. Leaders have identified specific training to help staff deepen their knowledge of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff feel supported, have a manageable workload and and report high levels of wellbeing. They have regular discussions with leaders and are able to speak and raise any issues with them.

Leaders and staff work well in partnership with parents. They keep parents informed about their children's care routines and learning. Information is shared with parents about how they can further support children's learning at home. Leaders have good oversight of the curriculum and how this is implemented. However, they have not acted quickly to address some inconsistencies in the key-person arrangement and staff's teaching to ensure consistently high-quality care and teaching across the nursery.