Castle Nurseries at Shieldfield

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders provide extensive support to staff to help them identify and support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning. Staff identify children's needs swiftly and make adaptations to the environment to provide high quality support to children. For example, they provide additional resources in the rooms to help children regulate their emotions. Staff provide resources to support children's physical development. This support makes a sustained difference to children's achievement over time.

Staff work extremely well with a range of professionals, such as those from health and education services. They act on any advice given and incorporate work on children's targets into their daily routines.

Leaders are highly responsive to families' needs and circumstances. They go above and beyond to support children who are disadvantaged or those known, or previously known, to children's social care. For example, they provide additional hours and days at the nursery, to provide children with continuity of care and enable them to access a healthy balanced diet. Parents comment that staff signpost them to different activities to help them support their children. This includes workshops and different activity groups which, along with support from staff, give parents valuable strategies to help them support their children more effectively.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The curriculum is well designed across all areas of learning. Leaders have thought about the skills children need to develop over time. Staff think carefully about what they want children to do in preparation for moving to the next nursery room. For example, they ensure that babies can use a fork and drink from a cup before they move up to join the toddlers' room. Staff know what they want children to learn next and they typically provide a range of experiences to support this. On occasions, staff focus too much on this, which interrupts children's play and learning and prevents children from practising other skills. For example, staff working with babies sometimes focus too much on helping them to walk. Occasionally, babies have fewer opportunities to crawl and explore the environment at their own pace because of this. Staff provide a range of sensory experiences for younger children to help them develop an awareness of the world around them.

Staff use a range of strategies to help children to develop their language and communication. Staff comment on what children are doing as they play. When two-year-old children explore ramps and walk along a raised platform, staff use the activity to reinforce vocabulary such as 'up' and 'down'. They introduce new vocabulary, such as 'sliding', when children explore different ways of coming down the ramp. Staff are skilled at using sign language as they sing and communicate with children. This supports all children, including those who face barriers to their learning, to express their needs with increasing confidence.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make steady progress from their starting points. They gain a range of skills which prepare them for their future learning. Children are confident communicators. Older children use language confidently in imaginative play situations. They develop their balance and core strength as they cycle down the ramps. Children count with numbers in order and are keen to join in with key experiences to promote counting. For example, older children count with enthusiasm as they check the number of children in the line to go outside. They enjoy varying the volume and using the actions as they reach the number 10.

Younger children benefit from sensory experiences and develop an awareness of the world around them. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make particularly impressive progress. For example, they make significant improvements in their physical skills as they learn to navigate steps and obstacles.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children know the routines and anticipate what will happen next. For example, babies look forward to song time. They pat their knees in anticipation of the action songs they will be singing. Older children know that they need to line up as they get ready to wash hands or to go outside. Children behave well and follow the expectations of the nursery. From a young age, babies and toddlers follow instructions to tidy up and delight in collecting tubes and feathers to put in the different bags. Two-year-old children learn to take turns with other children as they wait to use the toddler trampoline. Recent changes to the way staff manage children's behaviour means that children benefit from consistent expectations.

Children typically concentrate well. Older children focus well as they sing songs or play in the sand. Babies are captivated as they explore the different noises they can make as they bang objects on tins. Babies develop secure relationships with staff. They demonstrate these strong attachments as they seek out staff for cuddles. Many children fall asleep in staff's arms. Children enjoy playing with their friends. Older children particularly enjoy playing with their friends in the construction area. They take on different roles as they build and construct.

Staff work with parents to remove any barriers to children's attendance. This includes supporting children in their own homes to help them to attend regularly.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders place a high priority on children's welfare and wellbeing. They provide a range of resources to help children to regulate their emotions. This is particularly effective for children who face barriers to their learning. For example, children have their own space to sit during carpet times. Younger children enjoy time on the toddler trampoline to regulate their emotions. Children are incredibly caring and look out for other children that may need support or reassurance. Staff know children incredibly well and adjust the routines to help them to meet all children's needs. For example, staff working with babies, provide an earlier or later lunch when they show signs of tiredness. They cuddle them to sleep and monitor them closely to ensure they are safe.

Staff help children to manage their own personal hygiene. Staff work with parents closely to help children with toilet training. Consistent routines between home and the nursery help children to develop confidence in managing their own toileting needs independently. Staff teach children about healthy lifestyles. They provide a varied diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Children learn about foods that are good for them. Staff gather detailed information about any specific dietary needs when children first start. Staff working with babies follow the techniques used at home to wean babies and find out about foods that they have tried. The on-site cook plans adaptations to the menu to support children's individual needs, this includes pureed and blended food for babies.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

The programme for professional development is well thought out. Leaders highlight training that will help staff meet children's needs more effectively. Staff reflect on key messages from training and make adaptations following this. For example, staff working with two-year-old children have reviewed their environment and routines to provide more physical play opportunities. This has improved children's engagement. Staff comment that leaders provide effective support to help them develop their knowledge and skills. They feel that leaders are highly aware of their emotional wellbeing. Leaders are approachable and check in on staff regularly. They make adjustments, such as adaptations to working environments, to ensure that staff can continue to provide high-quality support to children.

Leaders identify their strengths and areas for development. They have taken decisive action to improve the quality of teaching in the two-year-old room. They know that they need to continue to provide support and guidance to staff to ensure that the typically high-quality teaching makes a consistent impact on children's education and care. For example, they know that occasionally staff do not share sufficiently-detailed information with other staff about children's individual targets. This means that occasionally, staff do not seize all opportunities to strengthen children's learning further.

Partnership working with parents is of a consistently high level. Leaders and staff provide incredible levels of advice and support to all families. Parents have a detailed understanding of where their children are in their learning and how they can support them further.