Cherry Pie Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Children with special educational needs/and or disabilities, as well as those who face other barriers to their learning or wellbeing, are incredibly well supported. Leaders, alongside their staff team, are committed to ensuring these children are fully included and supported to make their best possible progress. Those staff with lead responsibility for inclusion have a robust understanding of their roles and responsibilities. This includes supporting the team to promptly identify any children who may need some extra support. They provide valuable training, guidance and ongoing advice to support staffs' knowledge in order to support children as unique individuals. In addition, there is a collaborative approach to supporting children. Staff working closely with specialists and other agencies, as well as parents and carers, to identify and respond to children's needs. This actively promotes continuity in children's care and learning.

Staff's robust knowledge of children's needs, as well as any specialist advice, form personalised support plans. These focus on what matters most to help each child to succeed. This is shared with the entire team to ensure children receive bespoke support consistently. For instance, children who are yet to develop their spoken language benefit from highly effective signing and use of visual aids. This helps them to understand and prepare for what is happening next. In addition, older children independently use signing alongside their spoken words, which enables communication with all their friends. Staff facilitate a fully inclusive environment for all.

Leaders carefully consider any additional funding that children are entitled to, ensuring it is best spent to make a difference. For instance, they use funding to provide children with additional sessions, reduce ratios to promote intensive support and provide access to a range of extra-curricular activities. There are rigorous monitoring systems in place to ensure the use of funding is having the desired impact on children's development, as well as their progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

The leadership team demonstrates an accurate and reflective view of the quality of its curriculum and teaching practice. Leaders understand the importance of spending time in the rooms reflecting on the experiences children receive. This gives leaders effective oversight and enables them to prioritise areas for continuous improvement promptly. For example, leaders continually reflect on the abilities of their growing staff team since opening. They recognise that staff with less experience and those working towards early years qualifications need ongoing support. They provide coaching and mentorship to ensure staff are equipped to broaden their knowledge, raise the effectiveness of their teaching practice and deliver the curriculum successfully. Much of the teaching is highly effective. However, leaders recognise that teaching practice is not yet consistently embedded to the high standards they desire to achieve.

The curriculum is well considered by design, ensuring it is broad, ambitious and impactful for children. Leaders ensure that children's progress is monitored effectively, and staff plan appropriate next steps to help children build on their existing skills over time. Children's communication and language skills are a focus throughout all age groups. Generally, interactions from staff support children's developing language well. Babies hear clearly spoken and repetitive words, and begin to learn new words, such as 'sprinkle' and 'bounce'. Older children develop their descriptive language as they carefully think about how their emotions make them feel. For instance, children think curiously about what excitement feels like, indicating it makes them feel 'wobbly'. Children develop conversational skills as they engage in back-and-forth purposeful discussions. Children who receive additional support to develop their communication skills benefit from tailored support, including consistent signing alongside spoken words. All children receive support to become confident communicators.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make secure progress from their starting points. They benefit from activities that support their ongoing development and achievement, even when things are trickier. For instance, babies develop their core strength in the carefully considered environment as they pull themselves up and enjoy exploring age-appropriate physical play equipment. Children learn to manipulate play dough as they push, squeeze and roll the dough. They enjoy a range of sensory exploration that supports their persistence. For example, children take time to twist and turn pretend fish as they remove them through narrower tops in various vessels. These opportunities enable children to develop secure physical skills, as well as improve their dexterity, hand-eye coordination and resilience. Children independently turn pages in books, develop early understanding of mathematical concepts and enjoy imaginative play with their friends. Children receive support to be curious and show high levels of focus in all that they do.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who face barriers to learning or wellbeing, make sustained progress due to highly effective targeted support and tailored teaching. For instance, children who are learning to speak English as an additional language now engage in interactions. They use language and participate confidently in group activities as they demonstrate a secure sense of belonging. Overall, all children gain secure skills and make progress in their all-round development. At times, they do not always benefit from teaching and interactions that fully stretch their skills to ensure they are consistently supported to develop deeper knowledge. Despite this, all children are sufficiently prepared for their next stage in learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders establish and embed routines in a well-structured environment. Staff clearly understand the expectations for children's behaviour and consistently apply these. They are extremely positive role models and provide consistent guidance. This enables children to develop secure social skills and positive attitudes to learning. Relationships between staff and children are warm and responsive. Staff know children extremely well and provide reassurance and support. This helps children to feel safe and develop high levels of self-confidence. This is particularly effective for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who require additional emotional support.

Staff support children very well in working together, taking turns and helping each other during play and routines. They consistently encourage independence and resilience, and children develop a 'can-do' attitude. Children play harmoniously together. They engage confidently in activities as well as independent play. Leaders understand and promote the importance of children's attendance. They work closely with families to establish consistent routines and address any barriers. This ensures children attend regularly to fully benefit from the range of experiences on offer. Staff skilfully adapt their expectations and support in line with children's age, stage of development and individual needs. Children receive supported to understand their own and others' emotions as they grow. This enables children to show high levels of kindness and empathy. Children develop a deeper understanding of social connections, and learn courtesy and respect as they develop successful relationships.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's wellbeing is at the heart of everything staff do at this nursery. Children's welfare is promoted through effective and respectful care practices. Routines are adapted and flexible. For instance, staff tailor babies' milk times, weaning stages and sleep times to fully promote consistency between home and nursery. Staff know children, including those who may face barriers to their learning, very well. They adapt the provision and levels of support to ensure that children's physical and emotional needs are consistently considered and met.

Secure attachments are a key strength. Key persons, as well as other staff, build close and responsive relationships with children. This enables children to feel safe and emotionally secure. As a result, children engage confidently in their learning, and form positive and inclusive relationships with others. Children receive support to develop an understanding of their health and wellbeing. Snack and mealtimes promote healthy eating and independence, and are a social time. Children learn how to keep themselves healthy. For example, older children learn how to brush their teeth and why this is important. Children develop positive hygiene routines from a young age. They receive support to think about the consequences to their actions as they learn to be safe. Staff actively teach children how to be safe in the sun and the importance of staying hydrated. Staff positively teach children about their differences and what makes them and others unique. These opportunities foster a solid foundation for children as they learn to be safe, and develop healthy habits and inclusivity.

Staff support children to recognise and manage their emotions extremely effectively. Through consistent, familiar routines and targeted strategies, children develop skills to regulate their emotions and confidence. Routines and transitions are carefully planned and responsive. This enables children to feel secure and develop a solid sense of wellbeing, giving them confidence to succeed their next stage in learning.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

The leadership team is dedicated, and drives continuous improvement. Since the nursery opened, leaders have continuously reflected on their provision. They have taken time to thoughtfully expand their staff team, adapt routines and are responsive to feedback from staff and parents and carers. Leaders demonstrate an accurate and perceptive understanding of the nursery's strengths. They quickly identify areas for ongoing development through their regular time spent in the rooms and work quickly, but diligently, to address them. Leaders work together, creating a positive working environment that is well established and fosters a culture of continuous improvement within the entire team. Leaders continue to support staff develop, and embed their teaching practice and high-quality interactions. They recognise that the high level of teaching and interactions they strive for are not yet consistently embedded. As such, they are providing targeted mentorship, guidance and support to raise this over time. This is already having a positive impact.

Staff receive effective supervision sessions, coaching, training and ongoing mentorship. As a result, they comment that they feel valued and very happy in their roles. Staff that share leaders are approachable and highly supportive, which complements staff's dedication. Leaders understand the importance of establishing and maintaining positive and collaborative partnerships with parents and other professionals. They establish effective and positive two-way flow of information-sharing, personalising support and guidance as needed. Ultimately, this hugely benefits children. Parents are highly complimentary of the care and learning their children receive. They report positively on the progress their children make, particularly in their communication skills and self-confidence, which they attribute to the nursery. Parents of children who face barriers to their learning particularly value the targeted support their children receive, and the guidance through referral processes. They report that the nursery is instrumental in children receiving specialist support.