Butterfly Nursery School

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders ensure that all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, are included and feel they belong. Staff know children very well and identify any barriers to learning and participation. They skilfully adapt support so that the children can engage alongside their friends.

Leaders assess and provide targeted support that helps children remain motivated and access learning. Staff use clear language, repetition and key words to support understanding and communication. These approaches help children to build confidence, join in activities and to follow routines.

Children who may feel overwhelmed can access quieter areas, and staff provide support to help children to regulate their emotions. This helps children to return to play and learning when they are ready. Staff respond very sensitively to children's individual needs.

Leaders work in partnership with external agencies in order to effectively support those children who need it most. They ensure that information is regularly shared with parents and staff to ensure that there is a consistent approach to children's development. Leaders have a very clear understanding of how children's unique needs are identified and supported. This successfully ensures that all children, particularly those who face barriers to their learning, make sustained progress from their starting points. Leaders have a secure understanding of how any additional funding will be used to provide targeted support and improve children's outcomes.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff use observation and assessment to establish children's existing knowledge and what children need to be learning next. They have a secure understanding of each child's individual learning needs. The curriculum is focused on building children's skills over time across all areas of learning. Typically, staff understand what children need to learn and consequently adapt their teaching to suit each child's unique way of learning. However, there are times when staff do not consistently extend children's learning and play. This means that staff do not provide consistently high levels of challenge, which sometimes impacts the progress children make.

Leaders and staff plan the teaching in order to cover all areas of the curriculum. They have a particular focus on providing support for those children who face barriers to their learning. This helps close the gaps in children's experiences and progress. Staff plan activities to support children's physical development. Children have access to a large outdoor space where they can run around and negotiate obstacles. Children learn how to care for plants and delight in watering them and identifying a range of insects. Staff read books to children throughout the day. They encourage children to sing rhymes, which effectively supports children's literacy and language skills. Staff ensure that they weave in mathematical learning, for example when they are identifying quantities and sizes and counting.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children gain skills for their future and make steady progress. Children who face barriers to their learning and/or have special educational needs and/or disabilities make significant progress from their starting points. Children are motivated and curious in their play and keen to take part in the activities that staff have planned for them. For example, children collect water in containers to make 'pies'. They enjoy making shapes and talking about the colours as a result of mixing paints. Children's independence during activities and routines successfully helps to prepare them for future learning and life. For example, children independently get themselves ready before going outside. They pour their own drinks and manage small tasks, such as helping to tidy away the toys. Children develop confidence during routines. Staff praise them for being helpful and kind, which helps children to feel good about their own achievements.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children interact kindly with each other and demonstrate positive behaviours. They take turns and learn to share toys and resources. Staff are respectful and gentle, and this has a positive impact on how children behave towards each other and the environment. There are highly effective routines in place, which help children to understand boundaries and what is expected of them. This approach means that children know what is about to happen next and they can move with ease between activities and daily routines. Staff teach children to take responsibility and understand the consequences of how their actions impact others. Consequently, children are respectful and helpful.

Children have excellent attitudes to their own learning, including those who face barriers to their learning. They show independence, confidence and a willingness to try new activities and experiences. This strongly helps to prepare children to be curious learners and be ready for the next stage in their education, such as going to school.

Leaders ensure that parents understand the importance of regular attendance. They work alongside parents to suggest ways to remove barriers to regular and timely attendance. As a result, children attend regularly and on time.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff develop close and purposeful bonds with children. They work hard to help children feel settled and develop a positive sense of belonging. Children's emotional health is well supported. They are learning how to recognise and regulate their own feelings.

Staff are respectful at all times and provide children with privacy to protect children's dignity when helping with personal care, such as nappy changing. This effectively helps children to have a positive self-image.

Staff have received training to ensure that children are always supervised when eating. They fully understand how important it is to provide the correct and safe environment for children who are sleeping. Staff understand and implement safe practices consistently, including the process for managing children's dietary requirements and medical needs.

Children have opportunities for outdoor play and physical development. Staff typically help children to understand what it is to be healthy, having discussions about the foods that are good for their bodies. Leaders have begun to implement more nutritional meals at the setting so that children can begin to fully benefit from healthy choices. However, this has yet to be fully embedded.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are reflective and are working hard to make positive changes in the setting. They are continuing to develop the environments to ensure that children remain motivated in their learning. Staff feel that changes have had a positive impact and comment that leaders are hands-on and support them to fulfil their role.

Typically, staff have some access to further development, which helps staff to gain the knowledge and skills to effectively enhance children's learning. However, leaders do not consistently identify where staff need to further develop their skills, which impacts on the quality of teaching. Despite this, staff demonstrate that they are inspired by leaders' new ideas and are committed to enhancing their current skills.

Leaders work with parents and provide ongoing support and communication, particularly for those parents who have children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They forge links with other settings that children may attend and liaise with teachers to help support a highly successful transition later in the year. Staff help children to develop an understanding of the lives of others in the local community. They invite parents in to talk to children about themselves and their jobs.