Bright Horizons Swanscombe Day Nursery and Preschool

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders offer an incredibly inclusive and nurturing approach, ensuring all families feel very valued and respected. Leaders and staff are passionate and proactive in consistently supporting children's individual needs and next steps. They swiftly ensure any gaps in learning and development are quickly identified and addressed. For example, they have excellent relationships with parents, professional partners, the local authority and other outside agencies, ensuring they can access specialist advice and support where needed. Leaders regularly review the bespoke and tailored support in place, monitoring children's progress carefully to ensure all children achieve well from their starting points and are effectively prepared for their next stage.

Staff make a demonstrable difference to children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing disadvantage. Staff access high quality training to ensure they develop the knowledge and skills to help children facing significant barriers to learning. Staff use funding very effectively to provide children with one-to-one support and to purchase very specialist equipment so all children, and particularly those with SEND, can access all areas of the curriculum successfully. Leaders and staff ensure they continually make a sustained difference to children's experiences and opportunities.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a very accurate understanding of the quality of practice. For example, at times, staff do not always routinely recognise when they can further extend activities to support children's learning even more. Leaders recognise this and are continuing to focus their support to ensure consistency.

Staff implement a curriculum to ensure children develop knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. They work closely with parents when children start to gather detailed information to help them identify children's next steps. Staff tailor teaching to effectively support those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those facing disadvantage and barriers to learning.

Staff teach children a range of skills to support children's communication, physical and mathematical skills. For example, staff support babies to learn sign language to help them communicate. Staff provide older children with a range of activities to support their literacy and language skills and to develop a love of books. At mealtimes, staff support young children to learn to use cutlery, developing their coordination skills. Other children are supported to learn to use a wide range of physical toys outside, developing their balance. Staff encourage children to develop their dexterity successfully. For example, they help older children learn to use scissors effectively ready for when they go to school. Staff skilfully support children to learn to count. For example, younger children enjoy identifying colours and shapes when building with blocks. Older children enjoy adding up how many scoops of water they have when exploring outside with staff. Staff are good role models, helping children develop their personal, social and imagination skills. For example, children take turns and share when making their own paint from chalk. These activities support children's skills and understanding successfully.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children develop appropriate knowledge and skills ready for their next development stage. They are provided with a wide range of activities and experiences to support their language and vocabulary skills successfully. For example, babies choose favourite stories, listening intently as they are read to. Older children thoroughly enjoy exploring glitter and crafts when designing their own pictures. They spend time carefully choosing resources, talking about what they are making with their friends. These activities support children's communication and social skills effectively.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing disadvantage and significant barriers to learning develop important skills ready for starting school. For example, children learn to take turns and share, supporting their personal and social skills. Older children learn to help others, immediately sweeping up sand when they realise it has been spilt. Other children learn to scrape their plates when they have finished their lunch, developing their independence and confidence. These activities help all children to develop their skills effectively. All children achieve well from their starting points.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a calm, caring and inclusive environment. Children benefit from staff who are positive role models. As such, children use polite manners, saying please and thank you, demonstrating respect for each other. Babies are provided with cuddles and comfort, helping them develop strong bonds with staff. Where needed, staff are sensitive when gently reminding older children about behaviour expectations. However, at times, staff are not always confident to deploy themselves most effectively to support children's interactions and help children develop consistently positive attitudes to learning.

Staff ensure all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those facing disadvantage and barriers to learning, are provided with adjustments and adaptions, ensuring they can fully access all areas of the environment. As such, children develop confidence and independence, demonstrating that routines are embedded. For example, babies crawl to the lunch table when they know it is meal time. Other children are provided with spaces to retreat to when they need support to manage their feelings and emotions. Staff praise children and celebrate their achievements well, supporting their personal and social skills positively. Leaders and staff work closely with parents to ensure their children attend regularly in readiness for starting school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing thoroughly. They know their children and their families very well, responding immediately to changes and challenges faced by parents and providing high levels of support, guidance and bespoke help where needed. Leaders ensure they rigorously and regularly review the levels of support offered, adapting practice and provision to enable all children to succeed.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing disadvantage and significant barriers to learning are at the forefront of what leaders and staff offer. Children develop very strong bonds and secure and trusting relationships. As such, they demonstrate that they are comfortable and content. Children benefit from well-structured routines to help them develop lifelong healthy habits. For example, older children eagerly talk about their nutritious lunches made by the chef. Other children help themselves to sun cream before going outside, talking with staff about staying in the shade so as not to burn in the sun. Babies are asked if they would like to go to sleep or join their friends for lunch. Babies who would not eat when they started now settle immediately to have meals. This means children make consistently healthy choices and decisions.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are passionate and highly motivated to provide high quality care and education for children and families. They have an excellent understanding of the setting's strengths and areas of focus. For example, they are providing staff with a wide range of specialist training and bespoke support to enhance their confidence to ensure consistency across the setting. Leaders work tirelessly to support staff and to prioritise their wellbeing and workloads. Staff are highly appreciative of this focus. Leaders have instilled a culture of continuous self-reflection and evaluation. For example, staff consistently ask for feedback on their practice and in enhancing provision. Leaders ensure professional development opportunities are precisely matched to areas of focus identified, demonstrating their commitment to making a significantly positive difference to children's education and care.

This inspection was conducted as a result of a risk assessment, however leaders have ensured robust policies and processes are in place to ensure all children and staff are safe and suitable. They have effective supervision arrangements in place for staff and to ensure ongoing suitability. They have effective processes in place for accident and injury and behaviour management. They have reviewed and enhanced information sharing with parents successfully.

Leaders have very positive relationships with parents and other professionals, working very closely to make important decisions regarding support, the use of funding and to evaluate and adapt where necessary. Parents are incredibly positive about their roles on the parent committee, working with leaders to support the local community and individual families facing significant barriers and disadvantage. As such, partnerships are very strong and children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, flourish.