Burton Teddy Bears Ltd

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff are highly committed to providing a fully inclusive environment. They use meticulous assessment and monitoring to ensure that emerging gaps in children's learning are identified quickly and accurately. Dedicated leaders act as advocates for children and families. Consequently, targeted, tailored and robust support plans are in place before children move to their next stage of learning, including school.

Highly knowledgeable staff implement effective strategies and individualised plans for children. They have robust systems in place to ensure a high level of consistency and care from all staff. For example, staff create passports for children explaining clearly their needs, routines and personalities. Children interact well with strategies, including picture lanyards, communication boards and visual timelines. They engage well with targeted interventions that focus more precisely on their specific outcomes. Staff adapt the environment to suit the needs of children. This means that all children make very secure progress and are fully included in all aspects of the curriculum.

Leaders and staff form secure working partnerships with external agencies, parents and carers and local schools to inform children's learning and development. They review and monitor children's progress regularly to identify if outcomes have been met. Staff are motivated to want to provide the best care possible and learn sign language. This helps to reduce barriers to children's learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders use additional funding to positively impact on children's development. For example, they use it to provide one-to-one support for children who need it.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff demonstrate a confident understanding of the curriculum they have created. This encompasses a 'belonging, being and becoming' approach. This helps children to build secure foundations across all areas of learning. Leaders make informed decisions to drive improvements as they regularly reflect and refine their curriculum in response to children's needs. For example, leaders have implemented a free-flow system to support those children who prefer to learn and engage with the natural environment. This ensures that all children access the same opportunities and experiences within the curriculum.

Staff sequence children's learning and know what they need to learn next. This helps children to build on their skills as they access activities tailored to their needs and abilities. This includes staff recognising that babies need to develop their core strength, aiding their stability, balance and coordination when walking. Staff are knowledgeable and implement a varied curriculum offering children a balance of adult-guided and child-led experiences. However, at times, staff's interactions during adult-guided activities, such as group times, are not as effective in helping children to maintain their engagement. This means that children lose focus on the intended learning outcomes.

Staff place a high priority on supporting children's communication and language skills. They meticulously monitor language skills using 'speech wow moments' for those children who require additional support and those who speak English as an additional language. This tracks new words and sign language children are using, which they share with parents and carers. Children recall experiences at home and happily chat to staff and peers, fostering positive relationships.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children develop the skills they need in preparation for their next stage of learning. Babies build confidence and strength when using their physical skills to climb and manoeuvre over climbing equipment. Older children define their hand strength and scissor control when cutting natural objects during forest school sessions. During these sessions, they excitedly explore the natural environment and find a centipede, expanding their knowledge of bugs.

Babies independently access books and turn the pages, while older children enjoy stories about how to keep themselves safe. Children enjoy discussions with their peers and staff about home experiences, demonstrating confidence in their communication and language. Babies babble happily and begin to say key words, such as 'yummy', during snack time. Babies develop awareness of counting as staff repeat '1, 2' as they independently put their wellies on. Younger children persevere with puzzles, and older children use measuring tapes as they explore the size of objects. Leaders should continue to review how to ensure that children maintain their focus and engagement during adult-guided times. This will raise children's learning even further.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children demonstrate respect, empathy and care for others. Babies cuddle into other babies, younger children act out scenarios in their play together and older children use their manners well. For example, staff relay to children how they picked up their jackets, and children say, 'Thank you for doing that.' Staff encourage babies to use sign language when saying 'please' and 'thank you'. They act as positive role models for children. Staff praise children's efforts. They demonstrate how proud they are of children's achievements, no matter how big or small these may be. This boosts children's self-confidence and self-esteem.

Children work collaboratively through their play, creating a harmonious environment. This helps children to build resilience and perseverance as they practise their turn-taking skills. For example, outside, older children work out who is going to hold a long tube while the other one posts objects through it. Overall, established routines create calm transitions, helping babies and children to recognise what is happening next. However, staff have not yet embedded consistent expectations for children's behaviour throughout these routines, including during group times and tidy-up times. This means children do not fully understand what is expected of them.

Leaders work closely with families to promote regular attendance and punctuality. They reinforce continuity in routines that support children's learning and wellbeing. Children approach their learning positively.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are a high focus. Leaders and staff form excellent partnerships with parents and carers. This helps staff to recognise any changes to children's needs and circumstances to keep them safe. Staff quickly and sensitively adapt routines for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are known to social care. This means children experience consistent warm, attentive and nurturing care. Staff use gentle and calm approaches when bottle-feeding babies, recognising these times as a time for bonding. New babies settle quickly. Children form close attachments with staff and ask them for a cuddle. This supports children's emotional regulation and self-worth from a young age.

Staff nurture children's healthy lifestyles. Children's emerging independence is evident from a young age. Babies slip their feet into their wellies, younger children wash their hands and put their coats on, and older children attend to their own toileting needs. Children enjoy daily toothbrushing after breakfast, fostering their awareness of oral hygiene. Staff work with parents and share healthy lunch box expectations. They talk to children about healthy foods during mealtimes and demonstrate their awareness of safer eating requirements. Outside, children demonstrate inspiring confidence when using their bigger muscles. For example, they roll tyres and climb in and out of unused water containers. They test and extend their own abilities, developing resilience.

Leaders place a great emphasis on helping children to recognise how to keep themselves safe. Older children complete their own risk assessments. They use their list to check the garden for litter and to make sure the gate is shut and locked. Leaders engage with initiatives such as the book 'Pantosaurus', which helps children to learn about keeping their bodies safe. Leaders provide opportunities for parents and local childminders to complete first-aid training at the setting, creating a joined-up approach to children's safety.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate dedication and passion regarding their roles in providing high-quality care and education to all children and families. They continuously drive improvement using robust self-evaluation processes. Leaders demonstrate how they keep updated and refreshed on new legislation and guidance, such as safer sleeping. This ensures that children are safe and secure in their environment. Recent changes to the layout of the environment have created more defined learning areas for children and babies.

Leaders create robust working partnerships with external agencies and the on-site school to support children's learning. For example, recent training from Reception Year teachers on the implementation of phonics ensures that the delivery of this is age-appropriate and well sequenced. Motivated staff refresh their knowledge and attend local network meetings, where they gain new ideas to share with parents, supporting continuity between home and setting. Although staff can access training platforms, leaders do not consistently target their training specifically to the emerging needs of children. This means consistency in the support offered is not yet fully embedded.

Staff report high levels of morale. Leaders support staff in their roles and value their wellbeing. Parents and carers comment that leaders and staff 'go above and beyond' for their children and recognise the progress their children make in their communication and social skills. Leaders share supportive strategies with parents, including toileting, sleeping and communication programmes to support speech. Leaders make decisions based on the best interests of children and families.