Bubbles Nurseries

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders are fully aware of the different needs of children and families within the community they serve. They have high expectations for all children's learning, including those who are vulnerable, disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders use any additional funding that children receive to maximise the learning experiences on offer. For instance, leaders have utilised the early years pupil premium funding to purchase specific resources and implement sporting activities such as rugby to support children's interest as well as giving them the skills they need for their future learning. Leaders evaluate the impact this is having on children. They recognise that these children are becoming increasingly confident and independent.

Leaders and staff implement clear assessment processes to ensure that gaps in children's learning are quickly identified. They put support plans in place to target specific needs of children with SEND. However, at times, leaders are not quick enough to make the necessary referrals to outside agencies to seek specialist support so children get the right level of intervention to help close the learning gaps quickly.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of what they want children to learn. They ensure that the curriculum is well understood by staff. Staff plan their learning activities, taking account of children's interests and stage of development. For example, staff focus on supporting the youngest children to develop their coordination and balancing skills. They teach 2-year-old children how to climb equipment safely and develop their spatial awareness. Children learn to take age-appropriate risks and build on their curiosity while playing in the garden.

Staff maintain positive interactions with children. They plan learning experiences with the focus on developing children's attention, listening and speaking skills. They engage in back-and-forth dialogues with children and allow them time to think and respond. Staff adapt their teaching to meet the needs of children who find it difficult to communicate their needs and wants verbally. For example, staff teach children to use visual cues and sign language to make their needs known. This ensures that all children are able to express themselves, feel confident and make decisions about what they would like to do.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum for mathematics is taught well across the setting. Staff develop children's knowledge in counting, shapes and measures through fun and engaging activities. For example, they encourage children to measure and compare sizes while exploring sand and tubes. Staff guide children to use dough to make different shapes, such as a circle and heart. They encourage children to learn new words, such as 'bumpy', 'knead' and 'stretch', which successfully build on children's language skills.

Leaders and staff assess children's progress and development well. They have recently changed the planning across the nursery to ensure this meets all children's needs. There is scope to further review the structure of activities in the older children's room to further extend children's learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children achieve well from their starting points of entry. Children are independent, active and display a positive attitude to learning. Children develop their communication and language skills and become confident in expressing their needs and wants.

Disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) typically make steady progress. For example, some children who found it difficult to self-regulate their emotions when they started at the nursery, are now able to stay calm, share and take turns as they play with their friends.

Children who speak English as an additional language and those with delayed speech use sign language and picture cards to express their needs and wants. However, there have been some delays in seeking prompt intervention to further support children with SEND. This does not ensure that all children make consistently secure progress and are better prepared for their next stage of learning, including starting school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for all children's behaviour. Staff work closely with families to understand children's needs. They adapt their strategies to help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to understand behaviour expectations and the daily routines. Staff use picture cards to help these children to understand the routines and know what to expect. As a result, all children, including those who are new to the setting, feel safe and secure.

Relationships between staff and children are respectful and warm. Staff are always at children's level and support children to make choices about their learning and care routines. For example, during breakfast time, staff ask children what they would like to eat and encourage them to serve themselves. Staff allow children to choose what they would like to play with after eating and join in to further extend children's learning. As a result, children show increasing independence and confidence in their play and learning.

Leaders collaborate with parents to promote attendance and highlight the advantages of children attending regularly. They monitor and follow up on absences to further support the safety and wellbeing of children.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff prioritise the welfare and wellbeing of children. They implement effective risk assessment to ensure all areas are safe and suitable. Leaders deploy staff well to supervise children and meet their individual needs.

Leaders embed inclusive practice to ensure children, including those known to children's social care and those who are disadvantaged, get tailored support to meet their care and learning needs. This support is monitored effectively by leaders to ensure all children make positive progress.

The key-person system is effective. Children have secure relationships with their key person and with other staff who care for them. Staff have a secure knowledge of children across the setting. They speak confidently about the children's interests, preferences, dislikes and the next steps in their development.

Staff assist children in learning how to handle their own personal safety. For instance, staff explain the rules of play to children and teach younger children and those who are new to the setting how to climb play equipment safely. Staff encourage older children to think, analyse their behaviour and actions, and consider the impact this can have on their own safety as well as others. This effective way of teaching helps children to understand risks and how to stay safe.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and ambitious plan for supporting continual progress. They offer a curriculum that supports children to be independent, learning through creativity and exploration. Leaders are quick to identify and put support in place to meet the needs of disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are vulnerable. This helps all children to make progress from their starting points.

Overall, leaders are effective at assessing the setting's strengths and areas to improve. They continue to address the challenges that the setting faces in relation to staff. Leaders have made improvements to the key-person arrangement and the overall quality and teaching across the setting despite the recent staff changes.

Partnerships with parents are positive. Leaders and staff keep parents informed about their children's care and learning. Parents appreciate the advice and guidance they receive to help them understand early education and to access additional funding and support.

Generally, supervision arrangements and development opportunities are in place to identify and address gaps in staff's practice. However, support for the new management in place is not as effective as possible to help them to fully know and understand the setting's priorities to ensure better outcomes for children.