Buttons@Towcester Preschool

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may have barriers to their learning are exceedingly well supported. Staff who take the lead on SEND attend appropriate training to help them support children highly effectively. For example, they attend sign language courses and disseminate to other staff. This enables staff to help all children learn how to communicate and this also supports staff to communicate effectively with children who may be delayed with their speech and language. Children with SEND benefit from carefully planned targeted support. For example, staff use lanyards to help children know what is happening now and next, and they use positive affirmations instead of negative terms, to challenge any physical behaviours, to encourage children to manage these in a more positive way.

Staff are quick to identify potential gaps in children's learning through regular observations and assessments of what children can do. These timely observations help to ensure that any interventions needed are sourced as quickly as possible. Staff work closely with parents to ensure that every child gets the best support and attention needed to help them thrive and make the progress they are capable of. Leaders and staff make appropriate adaptations to the environment when necessary to ensure this is inclusive for all children. They have a quiet space where children can go with staff when they are feeling overwhelmed, which helps children to feel calm and safe.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Overall, the curriculum is designed and delivered well to help support children in their learning and development, and to be sure they gain the skills needed to be ready for the next stage in their learning, such as school. Leaders ensure that staff understand how to identify what it is children can do and need to do next. Staff take time to observe how children play and what their interests are, to be sure what is offered is supporting their ever-changing needs. There are times that staff's planning for younger children is not as effectively sequenced to get the maximum benefit of the curriculum. Sometimes, staff do not yet consistently make the most of all opportunities to deepen children's learning and thinking during activities.

Staff are skilled in how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to access the curriculum alongside their friends. They make appropriate adaptations to activities, to ensure they are inclusive to all. For example, they use signs to help children know and understand colours and to help children know what is expected of them.

Staff take time to help children to develop their speech and language skills. They read to them at regular points in the day, sing songs and talk to children as they play. They ask appropriate and challenging questions, giving children time to think and respond. For example, they ask the children how they can paint without paint brushes in the forest school. Children know they can use sticks or their hands to make marks and patterns.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, along with those who have barriers to their learning, are extremely well supported in this setting. They make steady progress. They benefit from activities that link to their interests and what it is that they need to learn next. All children develop a range of skills through daily routines and play. They show increasing dexterity as they thread needles and learn how to use safety knives to cut up fruit and vegetables. Toddlers achieve well overall, but sometimes, they do not achieve as well as the older children in the setting. All children are typically developing their communication and language well. Older children communicate with increasing confidence, using words and simple sentences to share their needs, ideas and experiences. Children listen to others and begin to work alongside their friends as they engage in shared activities with support from staff. Children develop a love of books. They sit with staff in quiet areas and show an enjoyment in the stories being told. Older children enjoy 'reading' to their friends as they ask them to 'Sit nicely and listen to the story'. They are well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Children begin to show empathy for others. For example, when children fall over or hurt themselves, they go over to their friend, help them up and ask if they are alright. Staff introduce children to books about emotions. They use sign language to help children understand how to express how they are feeling. This is particularly positive for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children laugh as staff use the sign for 'angry', and they copy to show they understand. This empowers children to be able to show staff how they feel.

Children's attitudes to learning are highly positive. They sustain focus, show curiosity and participate with enthusiasm in the range of activities on offer to them. They are taught from an early age how to take turns and to share, and staff are really positive role models. They use language, such as 'kind hands' and 'inside voices', to help children understand what is expected of them. This has a really positive impact and creates a respectful and harmonious environment. Staff establish clear routines that all children, including those with SEND, understand well. They use clear, visual prompts to help all children know what is happening at each stage of the day. Staff offer children quiet time with adults and appropriate toys they know children enjoy, to help regulate their emotions, should these become heightened.

Leaders promote positive partnerships with parents. This encourages effective communication between parents and staff. Leaders understand the importance of attendance and work closely with families to support children's regular attendance. This enables children, particularly those with SEND or those who face barriers to their learning, to establish positive routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Staff do not consistently record all accidents that occur on the premises and leaders do not have an accurate oversight of this procedure. At the time of the inspection, staff were unable to find records of all accidents that have occurred. This means that children do not always get the support they need. Staff do record accidents and incidents that occur to children at home.

Despite this, staff provide a caring and nurturing environment where all children, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, feel safe, secure and well cared for. Children's good health is well supported in the setting. Staff ensure that children are only offered healthy and nutritious breakfast foods and snacks. They talk to parents and offer guidance as to what constitutes a healthy lunch box for their child. Children spend lots of time outdoors, in the enclosed play space or exploring the forest school. They enjoy climbing on tree stumps, balancing carefully, with staff reminding them how to hold their arms out to the side to help them balance. They learn about the impact of foods on their good health as staff talk to them about foods they eat at snack time or those they cut up in the mud kitchen and role-play area. Children know how and where to wash their hands after they have been outside or playing in the paint. They are taught how to switch the taps on and off and the importance of using soap.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

While leaders record most accidents that occur to children, on occasion, this has not been thorough or recorded effectively enough to ensure oversight. This means that children's welfare is not always assured.

Despite this weakness, leaders demonstrate a clear capacity to improve. They work hard as a leadership team, recognising the changing needs of children and ensure they strive to put these first and foremost. Leaders are reflective and passionate about their roles and work hard to meet the needs of all children, including those with barriers to their learning.

Leaders regularly observe staff practice, offering constructive feedback and ideas on how to improve practice. This helps them to deliver an effective curriculum overall. Supervisions help identify training needs and set targets to allow staff to continue their professional development. Staff welfare is prioritised, and every morning, staff meet with the manager to discuss the day and enthuse together about how good the day will be. Leaders ensure that staff are suitable for their roles through following a robust recruitment process.

Leaders and staff work very closely with families and external agencies to support the needs of all children, including those children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents speak highly of the care and support shown to their children and of the progress their children make in their learning and development. Very secure partnerships are in place with the linked school which helps to provide very smooth transitions for those children moving on to the school.