Canopy, Frogmore House Nursery

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders do not have sufficient oversight of the identification, assessment and monitoring of the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or children who speak English as an additional language (EAL). Children's needs are sometimes missed when staff leave, for instance, which does not enable a seamless continuation of support for these children.

The curriculum is not always planned or adapted well to support the needs of babies with SEND. For example, staff do not have the knowledge to adapt activities or the environment when they realise that the garden is not accessible enough to enable some babies to get involved.

Leaders do not provide sufficiently effective training on how to support children with SEND or EAL, so approaches to inclusion are inconsistent. Some staff have the knowledge and experience to put support in place to close gaps in children's learning, but this is not consistent across the nursery. Leaders do not consistently work with parents, carers and outside agencies, who can offer advice and support. This delays the progress that some children make.

Older children with SEND generally make steady progress. Staff typically know these children well and adapt the curriculum effectively to support their developing needs. Leaders make effective use of additional funding to support the individual needs of vulnerable children.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders have not established a clear curriculum for all children across the nursery and there are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. For example, staff do not always adapt activities so that all children are able to access learning. This means that, at times, some children who face barriers to their learning do not receive the support they need. The curriculum for communication and language does not always meet the needs of children who speak English as an additional language. For example, during painting activities, staff do not recognise that some children are overwhelmed or need more time to respond. Staff assess children's learning and plan activities. However, these activities are not planned to consider children's next steps in learning and development. Therefore, teaching is not always focused on what children need to learn next. Babies who are learning to walk are not encouraged to move around and explore different levels and are occasionally left sitting, looking around for what they can do next.

Staff have conversations with older children throughout the day, developing their vocabulary. They talk about what is going on around them, introducing new words, such as pollen and petal. Older children explore the outdoors independently, as they search the bushes for bugs and collect flowers and leaves for an activity that they will complete later in the day. At lunchtime, children are given the ingredients from the dish of the day to explore. They discuss the smells of the spices, the feel of the raw aubergine and listen to the sound of the lentils in a plastic container. This helps children to develop their vocabulary, confidence in speaking and curiosity about the world around them.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language do not always make sustained progress. Leaders do not adequately monitor their progress, which leads to the learning gap between these children and their peers widening. They do not consistently receive the support they need to reach developmental goals. On occasion, children's next steps in learning are not specific and some staff do not have the knowledge to sequence learning to support children to make progress. Children take part in a range of activities across all areas of learning and some are becoming curious learners. Younger children develop a love for books and show increasing engagement during story time and when exploring sensory experiences. Older children develop some of the skills needed for their next stage in their learning, including for school. They independently put their shoes on and they offer their friends support when attempting a difficult activity.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff model kindness and respect and children reflect this in their play and the ways they interact with their friends. For example, children ask if their friends would like some help while completing a difficult flower-threading activity. Staff build a positive environment with clear expectations for children's behaviour and structured routines. As a result, children typically demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning and generally behave well. Staff generally notice when children become unsettled and help them to manage their feelings and emotions with effective strategies. This keeps behaviour positive and helps children feel safe. However, this is not consistent across all activities. Staff understand and have appropriate expectations for children's behaviour, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language. They know how to support children to understand their expectations.

In group activities, older children practise sharing, taking turns and working with friends. For example, during a bug hunt, some children use binoculars to search, others collect bugs in containers and some work with staff to identify the bugs in a book. Leaders promote attendance and punctuality, follow up promptly when children are absent and inform parents of the importance of regular attendance and arriving on time.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders typically build positive relationships with parents and carers from when they first join the nursery. They work closely with families to gain a clear understanding of each child's needs. Key persons are allocated after observing which adults babies bond with and familiar staff complete personal care routines, such as nappy changing. Staff build trusting relationships with older children, helping them feel secure and confident to engage in learning. These bonds give children a sense of safety and belonging.

Leaders place an emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles. Children benefit from nutritious meals, inspired by a range of different cultures and prepared by an on-site chef. Children have daily access to the outdoor garden. They climb steps, practise kicking balls and carefully hunt for bugs. These experiences generally help them to build their coordination, balance and physical confidence.

Children learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, during lunch, they are reminded why they need to stay seated while eating. Daily care practices support children's developing independence. They wash their hands and are supported with toileting, developing their self-care skills.

Leaders have strengthened staff's awareness of risk assessment and the control measures needed to keep children safe. This includes reinforcing expected procedures and introducing clear signage to support safe practice. This helps to ensure that staff consistently understand and follow routines that keep children safe.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Since the nursery opened, there have been changes in leadership and staffing, leading to a period of instability. This has disrupted staff practice and staff do not consistently provide children with thoughtfully designed, purposeful learning experiences. Although leaders offer support and guidance, high staff turnover has slowed progress in strengthening the provision. As a result, leaders did not identify quickly enough how staffing changes and increased workload affected staff confidence and morale.

Leaders have since recognised a number of the challenges created by leadership and staffing changes and have begun implementing improvements. Staffing has started to stabilise and leaders have introduced more in-depth staff supervision meetings across the nursery. However, this work is at an early stage and it is too soon to determine whether it is having a positive and sustained impact on children's outcomes.

Leaders do not have a clear enough understanding of the weaknesses in their oversight. They do not always have an accurate understanding of the quality of the provision and are not consistently aware of gaps in children's learning and development. As a result, staff do not always have the knowledge and skills needed to support all children or to plan learning that builds on what children already know and can do. This includes for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language.

Leaders work with the local authority to make improvements. For example, staff in the baby room have completed training around how babies develop and learn. However, professional learning is not yet focused enough to improve practice consistently across the nursery.

Leaders have begun to take steps to strengthen partnerships with parents. They gather the views of parents and have reviewed how effectively they engage with families. They have introduced a monthly newsletter, created a parent information board and started hosting stay-and-play events. Meetings with parents and regular updates are beginning to help families feel more informed about changes within the nursery.