Chesterwell Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff are skilled and experienced. They have robust and effective strategies in place to identify children's emerging needs and swiftly address them. Strong partnerships with parents and other professionals, such as health visitors and occupational therapists, mean that children benefit from a well-rounded level of support and intervention right from the start to remove any barriers to children's learning. For example, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from tailored educational programmes, including targeted speech and language sessions that focus on children's attention, listening and vocabulary. This helps them strengthen their communication and language skills and social interactions, as highlighted on their detailed intervention plans. As a result, all children are well prepared for their next stage of education.

Leaders and staff consistently implement learning opportunities that are specifically tailored and adapted to children's individual needs. Staff and leaders ensure that children who are facing barriers to learning benefit from exciting and meaningful experiences. For example, staff spend a considerable amount of time engaging and training parents in specific activities they can complete at home. Such activities help parents better support their children to become calm and focused before arriving at the setting. This consistent level of support ensures that all children quickly develop skills needed to become confident and independent learners.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders are skilled and experienced and have very high expectations of what they want children to learn, based on their needs, interests and abilities. Leaders design an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that is inclusive and of a high quality, fully embedded in all areas of learning. This is appropriately tailored and adapted to ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are also included and benefit from meaningful teaching and interactions. Staff's consistent approach to assessing what children know and can do means the curriculum is implemented to meet individual needs and ensure significant progress against starting points.

Purposeful educational programmes, including creative and science activities and phonics sessions, are implemented successfully throughout the day. For example, children enjoy engaging in science experiments. They learn about the concepts of 'cold' and 'warm' and what happens to water at very high or low temperatures. Staff prompt children to explore ice and describe its texture. This deepens children's thinking skills and enriches their vocabulary. Children are fascinated to participate and collaborate in discussions with their peers and nurturing staff, which also strengthens their social interactions and curiosity.

Leaders and staff prioritise children's personal and emotional development. They create a warm, calm atmosphere where babies have meaningful opportunities to build secure relationships. They provide gentle guidance and support to help babies strengthen their core muscles, preparing them for standing and walking. Leaders' commitment to a language-rich environment is evident across the setting. For example, babies are introduced to new words such as 'crab' and 'snap', while older children develop more abstract mathematical vocabulary, including terms such as 'smaller' and 'bigger'. From the earliest stages, staff nurture a love of reading. As children immerse themselves in the narratives of their favourite stories, staff engage them in rich conversations about the characters, incorporating counting activities to further enhance their numeracy skills.

Achievement: Strong standard

Leaders and staff implement the well-sequenced curriculum consistently and effectively. Children benefit from purposeful and rich learning experiences. As a result, they quickly develop the skills needed to become positive and resilient learners, such as great dexterity skills, phonics and mathematical knowledge and deep thinking skills. They transition successfully from one stage of education to another, including school.

Children are continually developing their communication and language skills. Through rich interactions with peers and staff, children demonstrate a broad vocabulary and confidently engage in meaningful conversations.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make significant progress from their individual starting points, demonstrating enthusiasm and a strong willingness to engage in a wide range of learning experiences. Similarly, staff consistently support children who speak English as an additional language to engage in discussions and conversations while using visual prompts and words from their native language. As a result, children rapidly develop the communication skills needed to thrive across all areas of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff hold significantly high expectations for every child. They form warm, nurturing and positive relationships with all children. Their positive interactions foster a calm, purposeful atmosphere where children remain deeply engaged in play. Daily routines are well embedded, enabling children to develop a clear understanding of what happens next. For example, children confidently wash their hands before sitting at the table ready for lunch.

Staff communicate behavioural expectations clearly, and at age-appropriate levels, such as explaining when it is appropriate to draw. Through explicit praise and strong role modelling staff reinforce positive behaviour, guiding children to recognise what is expected and encouraging them to act responsibly. For example, while exploring the sand tray, staff gently prompt children to share resources, collaborate in play with their peers and take turns with patience. As a result, children quickly learn and demonstrate high levels of respect and consideration towards both peers and staff.

Leaders have strengthened the setting's robust key-person approach to monitor children's attendance effectively. Strong communication between staff and parents ensures that all children, including those facing barriers to learning, establish positive and consistent routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Staff and leaders are exemplary role models. Staff create a warm and calm environment where babies and children can sleep safely and peacefully. Staff and leaders ensure that mealtimes are supervised closely and effectively, and children's dietary needs are consistently well managed. Staff encourage independence by offering opportunities for children to make healthy choices. For instance, at snack time, children wash their hands before deciding whether they would like milk or water.

Staff promote a healthy lifestyle, and children embrace it with enthusiasm and joy. In the garden, children are encouraged to explore a wide selection of purposeful obstacle courses and games to strengthen their gross motor skills, balance and coordination. As children operate the apparatus, knowledgeable staff guide and support them to develop a clear understanding of personal safety, such as avoiding potential hazards.

Staff consistently provide impactful teaching and learning opportunities that help children understand and manage their feelings and emotions. For example, all children have access to calm, thoughtfully designed spaces equipped with prompts and resources that encourage exploration and reflection on emotions. As a result, children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can express themselves confidently and seek support from nurturing staff when needed. This fosters a secure sense of emotional wellbeing and resilience.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are ambitious and reflective. Their firm commitment to providing children with the best start to their early education is wholeheartedly embraced by all staff with dedication and enthusiasm. Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths, and they successfully embed a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and critical thinking to enhance children's learning experiences and outcomes.

Strong partnerships with parents and the wider community are the setting's success. Leaders' proactive and positive engagement ensures that all children, including those who encounter barriers to learning, receive tailored support and thrive in an inclusive environment.

Leaders empower staff through bespoke training programmes and regular supervision sessions, which strengthen their professional knowledge and foster confidence and expertise. As a result, staff experience significant career growth and consistently express high levels of job satisfaction in this setting. Leaders place high value on staff's wellbeing, implementing creative and forward-thinking strategies to maintain and nurture a team of highly skilled, motivated professionals who deliver high-quality care and education.