Chearsley and Haddenham Under Fives (Chearsley)

Inclusion: Strong standard

Competent and knowledgeable leaders ensure staff place inclusivity and children's emotional security at the heart of the setting. They form secure bonds with children and take time to understand each child's unique needs and circumstances. This is particularly successful for children who face barriers to their learning. Warm and trusting relationships with families are firmly embedded from the outset. Leaders and staff maintain effective communication with parents and carers, as well as external professionals. This ensures that everyone involved in children's care and learning work cohesively together. As a result, children's needs are assessed quickly, gaps in development identified early and targeted support is implemented effectively.

Leaders and staff ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), along with those who face barriers to their learning, receive tailored support that adapts as their needs change. Robust monitoring systems help staff evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and identify the next steps in children's learning. For example, staff work closely with external professionals to implement a progressive programme that supports children to gradually develop the confidence to explore new tastes.

Leaders prioritise high-quality professional development to ensure staff have a secure understanding of how best to support children with SEND. Consequently, children's developmental gaps continue to narrow over time. Leaders also use additional funding purposefully to provide meaningful real-life experiences that help children make sense of the world around them. For instance, children with SEND closely observe caterpillars transforming into butterflies and tadpoles developing into frogs, which deepens their understanding of change and growth. Outdoor learning is valued as highly as indoor experiences, particularly for those children who prefer to learn in the fresh air. They thrive incredibly well, especially in sports activities led by external specialists that help promote their physical skills, confidence and enjoyment.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders provide a generally broad and balanced curriculum that reflects children's interests, developmental needs and abilities. There is an emphasis placed on providing enriching, practical experiences, particularly linked to the natural world. For example, the recent acquisition of an allotment plot has created valuable opportunities for children to help prepare planting beds and learn about growth through first-hand experiences.

Overall, staff adapt their teaching appropriately to support children's individual learning needs, particularly for those with special educational needs (SEND). Teaching is mostly of a high-quality. For instance, staff introduce and repeat the names of ingredients while making playdough, helping younger children build their early language skills. Children with SEND are encouraged to develop their physical control and creativity as they use paintbrushes to make marks. However, during some adult-led activities, staff do not consistently build on older children's language knowledge to extend their vocabulary and deepen their understanding further. There are occasions where staff do not always recognise spontaneous opportunities to challenge and extend children's learning in that moment. For instance, during a group activity, staff model simple language, such as 'big', despite older, more confident speakers already using this vocabulary securely and being capable of understanding more ambitious language.

There are plenty of opportunities to work together in large mixed-age groups. For example, during parachute games, children learn to practise working as a team to make the parachute rise and fall. Staff introduce new songs and concepts, such as 'spinny spiders', supporting children to develop an understanding of words that start with the same sound. However, there are occasions when staff interrupt children who are fully engrossed in their independent play in order to move them on to the next planned task. This does not consistently help to promote children's sustained concentration, deep levels of involvement and uninterrupted thinking.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children make steady progress in their personal, social and emotional development, physical development and communication and language skills. Younger children begin to use single words that staff model during interactions and play. Older children confidently discuss their own experiences and increasingly express themselves, sharing their thoughts and opinions. However, at times, some conversations remain at a more basic level as staff do not always recognise opportunities to encourage children to give deeper explanations or extend their thinking further.

Children listen attentively and follow instructions during a rugby session run by sports specialists. Older children demonstrate natural curiosity and problem-solving skills as they experiment with throwing a rugby ball up a slide while standing at the bottom. Experiences such as these typically support children to develop confidence, coordination and perseverance. Overall, children acquire the key skills they need to support their readiness for the next stage in their education, including their eventual move to school.

Children who face barriers to learning develop secure emotional wellbeing as they move through the setting. Through play and staff's nurturing interactions, they steadily build resilience and social skills. For example, when children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), smile when they paint their key person's picture. Children with SEND learn well through consistent repetition and familiar routines. For instance, they enthusiastically join in parts of the 'hokey cokey' song as they hop around with growing confidence. These children make better than expected progress over time, with gaps in their development continuing to reduce.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff provide well-established routines and consistent boundaries to help children understand what is expected of them. This is particularly evident when children of different ages, abilities and emotional needs respond to staff's instructions and move smoothly between activities. Leaders support staff to set appropriate targets that encourage children to consistently develop positive attitudes and considerate behaviour. Staff praise children for being thoughtful, respectful and cooperative. Through careful guidance from staff provide caring and thoughtful guidance to children consistently, which has a positive impact on their progress. For example, those children who used to get a little frustrated when they first started, for example if another child had the same toy they wanted, now wait calmly to take their turn.

Children are highly motivated and engaged learners. For instance, children who are new to the setting quickly begin to play independently in the role play area, drawing on familiar experiences from home. They move from messy play activities to pretending to wash their hands in the toy sink and carefully use a child-sized broom to sweep up dropped sand from the floor. This demonstrates children's increasing independence, sense of responsibility and shows how they understand everyday routines incredibly well.

The atmosphere throughout the setting is calm, nurturing and harmonious. Children benefit from compassionate interactions and good role modelling from staff, who demonstrate kindness, respect and empathy consistently. Staff successfully help children to recognise, understand and name their emotions, while responding sensitively to children's cues, particularly for those who require additional emotional support.

Leaders monitor children's attendance and punctuality closely and respond promptly to any concerns that arise. Positive and professional relationships with parents and carers, help to promote regular attendance. Leaders use additional funding particularly well to give those who are eligible, extra time at the setting. This helps them to maximise opportunities for these children's learning and development.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's wellbeing and welfare are given the utmost priority. All children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit tremendously from the sensitive, nurturing and trusting relationships they build with their key persons. The curriculum, stimulating learning environment and well-established daily routines allow children and staff to spend quality time together, which they thoroughly enjoy. In addition, staff help children to develop a firm understanding of how to spot hazards and keep themselves safe. For example, they teach children to avoid swinging areas when others are using equipment and to move calmly and safely when indoors to avoid trips.

Attentive staff are sensitive to children's developing self-care skills, including during toilet training. Privacy is thoughtfully considered and respected, while staff remain readily available to offer reassurance and support when required. Children independently go to the bathroom when they need to wash their hands and staff are on hand to gently guide them to follow the steps. They know that they must wash their hands before mealtimes and after using the toilet. Older children regularly remind the younger ones to do the same, explaining they are washing away the germs.

Children are provided with a range of healthy, nutritious snacks and take pride in their responsibilities as 'helpers' when preparing fruits for their friends. They learn about making healthier food choices and develop an understanding of where food comes from through planned, real-life experiences. For instance, children collect apples from a nearby orchard, prepare them and make different recipes. Furthermore, children beam with joy when they are active outdoors, as they climb, run and balance with increasing control, showing their emotional wellbeing is secure. These types of experiences support children to develop positive habits that contribute to a healthy and active lifestyle.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are committed to providing an inclusive education and care for children. They are reflective and demonstrate a keen drive for continual improvement. For example, they have used grant funding effectively to enhance children's experiences that they may not have encountered before, such as participating in rugby sessions and handling animals that visit the setting. Supportive committee members are kept fully informed by leaders of the strengths and priorities for the provision, giving them a clear overview of the education and care.

While leaders identify and address areas for development, they have not yet fully developed robust systems to rigorously monitor the quality of individual staff's teaching. This means personalised professional development is not targeted precisely enough to ensure teaching is of a consistently high standard across the setting. Training from leaders to support children who face barriers to their learning is effective and highlights that there is a further capacity to refine and strengthen practice further. Nevertheless, all staff feel highly valued and supported in their roles, working well as a cohesive team where their workload is carefully considered.

Leaders work closely with a range of external professionals to provide targeted support for children. They work diligently with families, taking into account their individual home circumstances and providing timely signposting to additional support where needed. Parents and carers speak positively about the caring and supportive approach from leaders and staff. Leaders consult school teachers to support children's readiness for their next stage in education, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.