Children's Choice Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

All children, including those who may face barriers to their learning and wellbeing, make excellent progress. Staff make highly accurate assessments of children's learning and development. Leaders check in daily with staff and have an oversight of what all children are learning within the nursery. Leaders have supported staff to fully understand their duty to share any concerns regarding children's development and take swift action to close any gaps. For example, children who need more support with their communication and language skills are supported by staff directly responsible for this to ensure they have the support they require to make progress. Staff gain input from parents and other professionals working with the children to ensure that they have consistent approaches, which are shared throughout.

Staff plan smaller intervention groups for children. This helps them to develop their social communication skills in small groups where they feel more confident. Leaders support staff to notice any barriers to children's learning or wellbeing and share this information to relevant individuals responsible. This ensures that leaders can engage with external professionals promptly when needed, taking swift action to support children and their families. Leaders make use of early years pupil premium funding to provide additional staff in the setting so that children have more opportunities to use the outdoor provision and benefit from a wide range of experiences that support their physical development and exploration.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders design and embed a high-quality curriculum that supports all children in the nursery to make excellent progress. Leaders are highly reflective and continuously consider how they can improve teaching and learning for all children. Leaders and staff have excellent knowledge of child development. They consistently ensure that a well-sequenced curriculum provides children with the opportunities they need to be able to flourish, particularly in the prime areas of learning. Leaders have already identified where the curriculum can be strengthened, and plans to do this are well underway. For example, staff have attended training specific to physical development and then used this to upskill the staff team with new ideas and ways to support the children. As a result, all staff are considering exciting ways in which they can encourage children of all ages to be physical and how their environment supports physical development. This is a real strength of the setting.

The nursery primarily provides care for children under 2. Therefore, leaders and staff have carefully considered how the settling-in process builds positive relationships and secure attachments. Practitioners ensure that their interactions with children are meaningful, building their vocabulary and communication skills. Staff support and encourage children, enhancing their mathematical knowledge through purposeful counting and exploration of shapes and sizes of different blocks.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are making excellent progress from their starting points. For example, children who started nursery and were not yet physically active are now making steps towards pulling themselves to stand, reaching for objects and enjoying tummy time. Some children who started at the nursery extremely shy are making steps towards being confident with unfamiliar faces, which is helping to support their social development.

Children benefit from regular story sessions exploring familiar books and stories. Children who speak English as an additional language are making excellent progress in their communication skills due to the support they receive from allocated practitioners. These practitioners support children through quality interactions and motivating teaching to ensure they reach their full potential.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children form positive relationships with staff, demonstrating secure attachments and confidently seeking them out to share their experiences. They are confident explorers who engage well in a range of planned activities. For example, children enjoy sensory-rich experiences, such as messy play, where they explore different textures, alongside outdoor learning opportunities that encourage them to use natural resources.

Leaders and staff create a positive and supportive environment where children behave respectfully towards one another. During some transitions, children become unsettled. Staff recognise these triggers; however, strategies to consistently support children in managing their feelings and behaviour during these times are not yet fully embedded.

Staff consistently role model positive behaviour, and children respond with kindness and respect. For example, younger children begin to learn how to share, offering toys to staff and their peers. Children enjoy playing alongside one another and are beginning to show interest in others. For instance, during group activities such as yoga sessions, they engage in interactive games and begin to imitate staff actions, demonstrating developing social skills and engagement. Staff monitor children's attendance and make regular contact with children when they do not attend the nursery. Through the use of their nursery app, staff are able to keep in touch with their families and promote the importance of attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders have established robust key-person systems within the nursery. Staff gain an in-depth overview of children's development needs and their unique personalities. This helps children to develop secure relationships and attachments with all staff in the nursery. Leaders and staff are responsive to children's care needs, for example, staff engage with children playfully while they feed them breakfast. Children develop a love of outdoors. Staff have developed the garden space for children to ensure they have a wide range of opportunities to develop their physical skills through active and exploratory play. Children who are known or have previously been known to social care are consistently supported and guided during their time at the nursery.

Staff encourage children to manage their personal care needs, for example, children are encouraged to become independent with handwashing routines before and after mealtimes. Older babies are supported to serve their own fruit at snack time and recognise their own place mats. This encourages children's independence and promotes high levels of wellbeing. These consistent approaches help children to develop confidence, self-esteem and a growing sense of responsibility. Staff support children to explore emotions during group-time activities. They use songs, rhymes and visual prompts to ensure that learning is age and stage appropriate.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate clear and effective oversight of the nursery, including staffing arrangements, staff development and clear priorities for improvement. They have successfully embedded a culture of high expectations for both children and staff. Through regular check-ins, supervisions and observations, staff receive consistent support to reflect on and improve their practice. This approach fosters a motivated and committed team that strives to provide high-quality care and education for all children.

Partnerships with parents are highly positive and well established. Leaders create meaningful opportunities for parents to engage in the life of the nursery through a range of events and shared experiences. Parents speak very highly of the nursery and value the support they receive throughout their child's journey.

Leaders are mindful of staff workload and take appropriate steps to ensure that it remains manageable. Daily discussions enable leaders to assess how well staff understand the children in their care and how effectively activities are planned. This ensures that the curriculum is consistently well implemented and that staff are confident and well equipped in their roles, contributing to positive outcomes for children.