Bright Horizons Shortlands Day Nursery and Preschool

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders create a welcoming and inclusive environment where every child is considered a unique individual, valued and very well supported. Leaders and staff effectively and consistently identify and assess children's individual needs through careful observations, assessments and conversations with parents. They ensure that they identify and promptly address any barriers to learning. Leaders and staff provide highly effective targeted support and well-planned activities to ensure children progress well in their learning. Leaders and staff carefully adapt the curriculum so that every child can succeed. For example, staff support children by use of visual resources to help them make choices as well as help them understand what happens next. Children have access to regular movement and sensory resources to help them stay involved in learning. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face other barriers to learning, consistently benefit from focused adult support and well-planned adjustments. These help children join in activities so they can learn and explore alongside their friends.

Leaders and staff have highly effective procedures to review children's progress and change support when needed to help children achieve their full potential. They work closely with parents and other professionals and share advice to ensure consistency in children's learning and development.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders successfully oversee the quality of curriculum and teaching. The curriculum is well designed and provides children with a broad range of learning experiences. Generally, staff understand how to deliver a high-quality curriculum. Staff use assessments very well to support all children, including those who face barriers to their learning and for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Staff ensure babies explore with their senses. For example, staff show young children how to separate shredded paper from the sand by passing the sand through a sieve. These experiences help young children to develop their early understanding of the use of resources for a purpose and their understanding of the world. Staff encourage babies to explore interactive books and encourage them to sing along, repeat words and name objects. Staff skilfully include positional language for older children to build on their mathematical skills. For example, children learn to explain whether a train goes forward or backwards. Staff build on children's vocabulary and introduce new words, such as reverse. On some occasions, staff do not plan effectively to stimulate children's interest in trying new experiences or joining in group activities. Leaders understand where staff need support and have an action plan to bring about improvement.

Staff who support children who speak English as an additional language work in partnership with parents to encourage the use of English as well as the home language. They use the key words in the children's home language to support understanding when children first start. This helps children feel included. Staff encourage families to listen to audio books at home to improve their pronunciation and extend their English vocabulary.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning, progress well from their starting points. The curriculum typically helps to provide children with the support they need to build on their existing skills.

Children learn a range of skills that prepare them for the next stage in learning, including school. Children who speak English as an additional language become confident talkers.

Children show high levels of confidence and independence and demonstrate positive, respectful behaviour towards one another. They learn to respect each other's differences. Children develop good physical skills, including core strength and small-muscle movements. They learn to manage hygiene routines, including handwashing, by themselves. Children enjoy sorting, learn to count in sequence and understand positional language. They develop a love for books. Children are imaginative during play. They engage in activities for extended periods of time, which helps them develop good concentration skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff are warm, kind and caring. They are positive role models and create a learning environment where expectations for positive behaviour are reinforced well. As a result, children behave well. Children play cooperatively and often initiate their own play, which demonstrates a high level of imagination and motivation to explore and learn.

Children develop secure relationships with their key persons. They enjoy sharing activities with staff. For example, they choose a book for staff to read to them. Staff promote children's positive interactions with their peers. For example, staff encourage babies to take turns to press the buttons while exploring electronic resources. Staff work closely with parents to meet children's healthcare needs and to encourage children's attendance. Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance for children's early education and to help prepare them for later learning, including attending school. Parents provide positive feedback regarding staff's partnership with them to support children to learn toilet routines.

Overall, children are motivated to learn and develop positive attitudes to learning, although this is not always consistent. For example, there are occasions when staff do not plan the curriculum as well to engage some children who are less confident. This means that there are times when some children are not fully engaged in learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders place high priority on children's welfare and wellbeing. Key persons share information effectively with parents to understand young children's feeding and sleep-time routines and to meet their individual needs. Staff use signs to promote young children's understanding, for instance to check if they would like a second helping of food. These inclusive practices help to support children who are non-verbal and those who learn English as an additional language to learn to make choices. On some occasions, leaders do not swiftly identify and address any adaptations needed to staffing arrangements to meet the changing needs of children, particularly during transition between activities. Staff follow effective procedures when children have accidents. They have secure knowledge of first aid and promptly report accidents to parents.

Staff teach children the importance of brushing their teeth. They arrange activities to practise how to brush teeth effectively and hold meaningful discussions about why and how to care for their teeth. Children benefit from daily access to the outdoors and enjoy healthy and nutritious snacks and meals throughout the day. This supports children's good health. Staff model good manners, and children learn how to use polite words, such as please and thank you. Children learn to share and take turns. Staff support children's physical development well through a range of activities, such as balancing on beams.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate passion and commitment towards their work. They have an accurate understanding of the setting, which helps them evaluate strengths and areas for development. Leaders look after staff's wellbeing and ensure their workload is manageable. They provide targeted training for staff to enhance their teaching skills. Staff attended training to help them gain confidence in teaching mathematics. This has a positive impact on children's experiences and the progress children make in this area of learning. Leaders take prompt action to address any inconsistencies in staff's implementation in the setting's policies and procedures, particularly in behaviour management.

Leaders use their excellent knowledge of child development to personalise support for young children who start at the setting. For example, they gather detailed information from parents regarding babies' prior experiences of attachments and thoughtfully plan a settling-in process that helps to meet their needs. Leaders provide opportunities for parents before their children join to get to know each other, creating a sense of community in which all parents and their children feel welcome. Leaders consider children's individual needs and experiences when making decisions. For example, they use funding effectively to enhance children's experiences in the outdoor environment, particularly for those who have fewer opportunities for this at home.

Leaders work effectively with external professionals, particularly when supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They follow professional advice carefully and consistently to ensure children's wellbeing and individual care and learning needs are prioritised. Leaders create a working partnership with parents that promotes involvement in children's learning from the start. Parents appreciate the warm and caring environment for their children's learning journey. They receive helpful suggestions on how they can extend their children's learning at home. This collaborative approach creates consistency that meets the diverse needs of all children and families.