Burnholme Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders promote an inclusive, nurturing and harmonious environment for all children. This particularly supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to thrive. Leaders and staff carefully assess children's individual needs and work in close partnership with everyone involved in their care, learning and welfare. For example, parents and carers are asked about the best way to spend extra funding, and staff receive training from medical professionals to meet children's individual care needs. Children show that they enjoy their one-to-one time with staff and happily play alongside others. Staff know how to help all children access every part of the curriculum. They carefully adapt the environment and use specialist equipment to help children take part in activities inside and outside, for instance.

Leaders ensure they complete any documentation precisely and swiftly to help children receive the full support they need from an early age. Parents say they are grateful for the support they receive as a family and describe their children's progress as 'astonishing'. Leaders support staff who have specific inclusion roles very well. For instance, they reduce staff's other responsibilities and organise provision so that staff consistently spend time with their key children.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff typically provide an ambitious curriculum for all children. There is a balance of child-initiated and adult-led experiences, which typically consider children's next steps in learning. Staff know what children need to learn next and generally support them well. For example, older children independently access mark-making materials, and staff help them begin to write their name, showing them how to copy from their self-registration card. However, during some planned activities, children are not encouraged to build on and practise their skills across different areas of learning, as staff focus entirely on a narrow learning intention.

Toddlers are supported to develop their language skills and are confident communicators. Staff model clear words to them and use stories and songs to extend their vocabulary. Babies show enjoyment in activities, and staff use books to show pictures of animals. They teach them the names of baby animals and encourage them to copy the animal sounds. However, staff do not always use open questioning or engage deeply with children during their play to consistently extend their language and encourage them to share their ideas and knowledge further.

Staff support all children to be prepared for the next stage of their learning, such as starting school. Leaders attend meetings with teachers, parents and carers, sharing relevant information to help children experience a smooth, seamless transition. For example, they provide detailed information on how they have supported children with specific care and medical needs.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children generally make typical progress in their learning. For example, babies develop their physical skills as they learn to pull themselves up to explore resources. They begin to say single words and develop confidence as they experience new activities. Toddlers show a love of books from an early age and begin to retell simple parts of favourite stories, such as how a balloon pops.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities thrive. They make positive progress in relation to their starting points and benefit from focused interactions. Older children generally develop the skills they need to start school. They show the confidence to ask staff for help when they need it and have positive levels of focus and concentration. For instance, during story sessions and group times, children listen attentively and follow instructions. However, they do not consistently have opportunities to practise all of their developing skills, which occasionally limits the amount of progress they make.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children's behaviour is extremely positive throughout the day. Staff are excellent role models and behave with kindness, empathy and respect towards children, families and each other. Children copy these positive behaviours and are polite, helpful and well mannered. They are keen to play with and alongside others and willingly include them in their play. For example, older children help each other to choose clothing from the dressing-up boxes and offer compliments to their friends as they dress up. All children show consistently positive attitudes to learning. They are enthusiastic to join in with activities and have positive levels of focus and concentration. All children share regular parts of their daily routine, such as mealtimes. They demonstrate exemplary behaviour and show enjoyment of the social aspect of this, as they see their siblings and friends from other rooms, for instance.

Children are regular, punctual attenders. This has a positive impact on their wellbeing and helps to prepare them for future routines, such as starting school. Leaders support families to help children attend their sessions and make adjustments to support this, if needed. Staff consistently promote children's personal, social and emotional development. They prepare children for different routines and transitions extremely well. For example, staff know when babies will begin to feel tired and make sure the area is suitable for sleeping. This promotes their emotional wellbeing and helps them settle to rest in comfort. Toddlers listen out for the tidy-up song and show pride as they clear up, ready for lunch. Older children recognise their names and use the self-registration board. Staff use visual cues, such as 'first, now and next' pictures, to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently prioritise children's safety and emotional wellbeing. For example, they are aware of the changing circumstances of children and families, and make swift adaptations to meet their needs. Staff are acutely aware of the need to provide safe-sleeping areas for children and monitor the temperature of the room carefully, particularly in times of extreme heat. Leaders complete specific risk assessments and healthcare plans for children with additional medical needs. They regularly share these with staff, parents and carers to ensure information is up to date and staff know how to support children. Staff's checks of the premises, indoors and outdoors, are robust, ensuring all children can access the curriculum safely. For example, staff put up a large gazebo outdoors to protect children from the sun and make adjustments to the environment so that children with any specialist equipment can also access activities of their choosing.

Staff consistently promote children's personal, social and emotional development. Babies benefit from secure bonds with their key staff, who know their routines well. Babies show they feel safe with staff and seek them out for comfort. Staff rest a hand on children's shoulders when there are unfamiliar faces in the room, offering calm reassurance, for instance. Staff help young children to become aware of their emotions and ask them if they want a quiet space or cuddles when they say they feel 'grumpy'. Older children demonstrate very effective self-care skills and high levels of independence. They use the toilet, wash their hands and show an understanding of how to keep themselves safe, such as why they need sun cream and plenty of water during hot weather.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are positive role models for staff. They have high expectations for all children and know the community well. Leaders and staff work together to evaluate the strengths and areas to improve in the nursery. For example, they have recently enhanced the outdoor area to further support children's learning outdoors. Staff benefit from regular supervision sessions and staff meetings that help them reflect on their practice and share experiences with the team. They say they are happy with the support they receive from leaders and enjoy working in the nursery. For instance, leaders support staff with any challenging aspects of their roles and promote their wellbeing.

Staff access a wide range of training and professional development opportunities, which typically enhance their skills and knowledge in working with children. For example, some staff complete courses that help them to care for babies, while others consider how they can support children's behaviour. All staff receive regular training to help them keep children safe and meet their additional needs. Leaders recognise that they need to provide further guidance to staff to help them maintain high-quality teaching, particularly around supporting children's communication and consistently maximising all areas of their learning.

Leaders and staff work in partnership with parents and carers and all other professionals involved with children, such as teachers, home visitors and healthcare professionals. They gather and share all relevant information to promote continuity of care for children. Parents are happy with the regular updates and information about their children's progress. They say they feel fully included in decisions made about their children and are grateful for the support they receive from leaders.