Children's Links - RAF Waddington

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders ensure that children's individual needs are carefully assessed and additional support is identified at the earliest opportunity. Expertise is shared in the team, which helps to promote best outcomes for all children. Leaders have a secure understanding of the provision and make adjustments where needed to ensure access for all. Leaders and staff work closely with other professionals to ensure children receive the right support and make the progress they are capable of.

Staff confidently highlight children's needs and have an open culture of removing barriers to learning. Leaders use additional funding effectively to ensure children can fully access the provision.

Staff recognise children's needs and implement support where needed, for example by using language to discuss their feelings and providing resources to help children regulate their emotions. Parents comment on the use of funding to support their child and how it allows them access to their full entitlement.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have developed a balanced curriculum in line with their values and ethos. This is well sequenced and supports all children to make progress. The curriculum places a clear emphasis on supporting children's independence skills. For example, resources in the baby room are lowered to aid access and promote babies pulling themselves up.

Children confidently navigate the setting and independently select resources and revisit activities. Staff regularly assess and review children's progress and identify next steps for their learning. However, at times, staff do not consider how to adapt their interactions during activities to extend the learning of the most able children.

Staff place a focus on ensuring that children develop the key knowledge and skills needed for future learning. For instance, children talk about what they are making using the play dough and how they are drawing pictures in the pre-school room, while 2-year old children match jigsaw pieces and shape sorters.

The outdoor space is used daily by all children, and children engage in active play both indoors and outdoors. Staff discuss with the children the opportunities outdoor spaces provide them for safely running, jumping and climbing. Pre-school children practise using coordination and balance when riding bikes.

Staff generally implement the planned curriculum well. For example, they provide a range of songs and interesting conversations throughout the day, promoting children's language development effectively. They also read stories and encourage children to develop a love of books. However, there is some inconsistency in the teaching of mathematics as some staff are more skilled than others in using opportunities to introduce mathematical language and ideas as children play. Overall, mathematics is not promoted quite as effectively as all other areas of learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children have daily access to a wide range of resources and activities to support and develop their skills. Children benefit from well-planned activities and supportive staff. For example, babies develop the confidence and skills to independently use scoops and jugs to transfer dyed pasta from one jug to another. Older children use their developing language and social skills to chat happily with their friends as they play.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who face barriers to learning, are consistently supported to learn new skills in small and achievable steps.

Children make good progress from their starting points with a clear curriculum focus on developing positive relationships with staff. Children develop independence skills that help them for their next stage of learning. For example, children serve their own meals at lunchtime. Children confidently navigate the new room as they transition in the nursery and settle well. Overall, children progress well.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff respond to children's needs calmly and sensitively. This promotes consistently positive behaviour across the setting. Staff promote positive behaviour with words of praise, 'high fives', clapping and consistently talking about 'kind hands'. The children behave well and follow routines with increasing confidence throughout the rooms. For example, children independently collect their plates and cutlery for lunchtime and sit at the table. Children are learning to resolve small disagreements and to take turns and play cooperatively. For example, children work together to agree the order in which they will take turns to use a bubble wand outside.

Staff understand how to support children to become increasingly confident as they gain more confidence. Routines are consistent throughout the nursery. This supports children effectively as they prepare to transition from one room to the next. Children settle confidently as many of the routines and experiences are consistent and familiar.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders effectively consider the unique situation and challenges that children and parents in the military community face. For example, they provide resources to help children understand, and to be reassured, when a parent is on deployment.

Staff know their key children well and are attentive to their emotional needs. They use the knowledge they gather from parents to provide the right support when children arrive at nursery and throughout the day. The warm, trusting bonds that staff nurture help the youngest children to feel safe and secure. As a result, families feel supported and praise the setting for how well their children settle. For example, one parent spoke of how staff will ensure favourite items are ready for their child's arrival to help them settle.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have worked hard to embed a safeguarding culture in the setting and an inclusive approach to teaching and learning. Recruitment procedures are effective, and new staff are supported well. For example, they receive a thorough induction and attend relevant training to understand the responsibilities of their role. Leaders empower staff to make decisions in relation to their key children, such as how best to use additional funding to meet the unique needs of the children for whom it is allocated.

Leaders are committed to ongoing improvement to promote the best outcomes for all children and place importance on the children's and families' wellbeing. This is embedded throughout the setting. For example, staff confidently discuss how adjustments have been made to remove barriers to learning, buying resources to support self-regulation and ensuring children's needs are met. Leaders use a range of practical methods to meet children's needs, such as colour-coded plates to make it easier to monitor that children's dietary requirements are met.

Staff feel supported and talk of robust induction procedures, training plans and staff meetings all being used to support their wellbeing.