Children 1st @ Hathern

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about ensuring all children are included in the setting. They consistently promote and role model an inclusive approach to all children. They demonstrate professional care and compassion for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those previously known to children's social care. Staff adapt routines and activities to ensure all children participate fully and make secure progress. They provide bespoke support to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. Leaders closely monitor the effectiveness of interventions, regularly reviewing children's progress and adjusting strategies as required.

Staff foster supportive relationships with parents and carers, which parents talk about fondly. They are proactive in their work with other professionals to ensure children's needs are met. The setting's special educational needs coordinator ensures children's individual needs are well planned for. As a result, children with vulnerabilities make positive strides in their development. Leaders make sure the nursery is an environment where all children are valued, supported and, as a result, thrive. They provide training for staff to implement a graduated response to children's additional needs. This ensures appropriate support is used to promote each child's learning. Leaders consider the appropriate use of funding and ensure that funding received is used to specifically support the needs of those children for whom it is intended.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff provide a broad, child-centred curriculum that reflects children's interests, developmental stages and individual needs. Children enjoy looking at bugs in their natural habitats in the garden and examine how they change, such as becoming a cocoon. Staff use these opportunities to develop children's vocabulary and introduce new words, such as pupae. Older children develop their physical skills outside as they climb, and babies develop their core strength as they learn to sit unaided. Children become increasingly sociable and able to build relationships with other children as they take turns to use the till in the garden shop. As a result, children develop secure foundations for future learning and readiness for school.

Staff use their accurate assessments of children's abilities to plan activities to support what they need to learn next. They use advice from other professionals to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive support to enable them to make progress. Staff support children to become aware of mathematical language as they count spots on ladybirds they have drawn. They use mathematical language, such as 'more' and 'less', as they compare how many spots are on each side of the ladybird.

Overall, leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for staff development. They provide training and model quality interactions with children to improve staff practice. However, at times, staff do not question children's understanding to further challenge their learning. For example, they provide a narrative as children look at ladybirds hatching from eggs without establishing what children know and can see for themselves. This does not help children to fully benefit from the intended learning and extend their knowledge and skills.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children achieve well across all curriculum areas. They develop age-appropriate skills and growing confidence and independence. Most children progress from their starting points and are well prepared for the next stage of learning, including school. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those previously known to social care are making rapid progress in developing their language skills and gain the confidence they need to communicate successfully.

Staff interactions support children's communication and language, such as retelling familiar stories. Children recall events from stories, such as walking through grass, woods and snowstorms to find a bear. Children confidently use new words and phrases in imaginative contexts. For example, they describe the long wavy grass, showing their developing vocabulary.

However, at times, group activities such as baking are not organised effectively to enable all children to fully participate. Children are not always fully engaged, as they spend periods of time waiting for their turn and are not actively involved in their learning. Consequently, children do not have the opportunity to develop the intended skills and knowledge to extend their achievements.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children are confident and comfortable with daily routines, such as taking their shoes off to take part in a sensory walk. Staff adapt routines to meet children's age and stage of development. For example, babies are confident to scoop their food onto a spoon and feed themselves, and older children decide how much food they would like as they serve their own food. Children's behaviour is consistently positive and reflects the expectations of staff. Leaders work closely with parents to promote children's attendance and punctuality. As a result, children do not miss valuable learning opportunities at the beginning of the day as they arrive punctually, ready to start the day. This helps them to develop positive habits for the future.

Staff act as influential role models, guiding children to reflect on their actions and encouraging them to work together. They thoughtfully adapt routines so that all children are fully included. Leaders have created a setting with a family feel and an excellent culture of care and trust, which helps children to build positive relationships with staff and each other. Children show high levels of emotional maturity and care for others and the environment. They play harmoniously, take turns and cooperate during activities. Children are developing an awareness of how to care for the environment as they look after ladybirds and caterpillars as they hatch from eggs.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders place great importance on children's emotional development and resilience. Young children are supported to recognise and express their emotions. For example, staff use stories about different emotions to help children recognise and talk about how they are feeling. Staff revisit this learning outside to provide children with opportunities to consolidate their learning. Children develop empathy for others and the environment as they learn to take turns and understand that everyone needs a turn so that they feel included. Children quickly learn to regulate their own behaviour as staff are consistent in their expectations and reminders. This approach is particularly effective for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who benefit from dependable strategies and predictable routines.

Children are physically active outdoors throughout the day. Babies negotiate slopes, and older children benefit from energetic play. Staff encourage children to understand why it is beneficial to be active and eat healthy foods.

Staff support young babies to develop strong attachments with key staff so that they feel secure and safe. For example, young babies are relaxed as they have cuddles with staff in the room. Staff encourage children to be independent and to manage their self-care from a young age. They have high expectations for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to become independent in managing their own care needs. As a result, children thrive in an environment that supports their emotional and physical wellbeing. Excellent partnerships with parents and carers ensure continuity of care and contribute positively to children's wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders care about their staff team and are committed to ensuring the ongoing training and skills of all staff. They typically ensure that staff are clear about the intended curriculum and use their own skills to model to staff how to plan stimulating and exciting activities for children. Staff feel supported by their leaders and are keen to further develop their skills. Leaders manage staff workloads thoughtfully, enabling staff to maintain high-quality care and teaching for children.

Leaders and staff are proud of the parent partnerships they have developed. Parents value the support they receive and talk about the experience staff have when advising them. For example, parents feel supported while they potty train their children. This provides consistency in children's care. Leaders talk to parents to gather useful information about how individual children can be supported by the nursery. They use this information about children's needs to make decisions about how they spend funding. This ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or previously known to social care, receive appropriate support to enable them to make the progress they are capable of. Leaders are dedicated to creating an environment that is inclusive to all children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and who require a calm setting in which to experience their early education.