Chrysalis at the Church

Inclusion: Strong standard

Inclusion is a significant strength. Children with complex needs receive highly individualised support. Staff use individual support plans, care plans and multi-agency guidance to ensure children's needs are met precisely. They work closely with community nurses, area special educational needs coordinators and specialist teachers. Staff complete specific training that ensures they can expertly meet children's needs. Staff attend training in British Sign Language (BSL), that enables them to respond confidently to children's communication needs.

Children with medical needs are supported very well. Staff recognise medical signs immediately and are skilled in taking swift, appropriate action. Children with communication delays benefit from BSL and all children learn the sign of the month. Children learning English as an additional language hear French, English and sign language woven through daily routines, helping them communicate confidently.

Children with physical needs receive adaptations such as specialist chairs, one-to-one support and targeted settling sessions. Staff understand a range of additional needs and adjust environments accordingly. This means that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make sustained progress because adaptations are skilful, systematic and responsive. Parents who spoke with the inspector are highly positive, and children experience consistently high-quality inclusion.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Curriculum and teaching are ambitious, coherent and consistently effective. Staff use authentic materials that spark exploration and curiosity for children. Staff provide an enriching range of experiences, such as baking, yoga and French sessions. Staff build on previous experiences, such as visiting gardens where children have planted flowers, helping children connect new learning to familiar contexts.

Communication and language underpin the curriculum. Staff use rich vocabulary, descriptive language and mathematical concepts consistently. As a result, children repeat words, join in songs and remain highly engaged. Storytelling is a strength. Staff use props to bring stories to life and help children develop a love of reading. Staff use descriptive language such as 'heavy', 'light', 'big' and 'small' as children explore natural materials, helping them build early mathematical understanding.

Teaching is warm and responsive. Staff follow children's lead, such as building houses for a toy bunny and developing role play scenarios when children say the bunny is sick. Staff support problem-solving and collaboration. Environments are thoughtfully prepared to support individual learning styles and play fascinations. Staff describe the textures of pinecones and encourage children to investigate how much different items weigh, which deepens children's understanding of the world. Teaching is consistently effective and embedded across rooms. As a result, children develop curiosity, confidence and secure foundations for future learning.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make sustained and meaningful progress. Babies show rapidly developing communication as they learn early sign language. Toddlers show developing dexterity and develop muscles as they manipulate dough. Children develop their sensory skills as they explore paint and water play.

Older children use scales to weigh potatoes and show mastery as they peel vegetables. Children use mirrors to identify facial features and design self-portraits from dough and natural materials such as twigs. They confidently greet the French teacher and remember French words as they sing along and carry out actions to songs.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make excellent progress relative to their needs. Adaptations support communication, physical development and emotional security. Children learning English as an additional language benefit from repeated vocabulary, sign language and French woven through play.

Children show curiosity, independence and resilience. They explore natural materials and investigate life cycles. Children engage in community learning as they learn about people who help them and the jobs they do. Children's progress is consistently secure and sustained. They build knowledge securely and demonstrate confidence across all areas of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders set high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff consistently remind children about rules and expectations. They apply these fairly and explain them in ways that children can remember. Consequently, children behave well and show consistently positive attitudes to their play and learning. Attendance is excellent and children are keen and eager to start their day as soon as they arrive.

Children follow well-established routines. They know when to wash hands and tidy away for lunch. Children show very positive manners throughout the day. Routines promote children's independence as they peel bananas and pour drinks for snack.

Children are deeply settled and engage fully in their play because staff organise transitions very well. They explore sensory trays and natural materials with their peers. Children collaborate during block play and show kindness as they care for a toy bunny. Staff use praise effectively to reinforce expectations.

Children show curiosity and confidence as they explore the thoughtfully and carefully prepared environments. They show excellent concentration during play such as when they organise and sort porcelain shoe figurines into lines. Children develop positive attitudes to learning, highly secure social skills and confidence in managing routines. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are enabled to explore the environments through well-considered adaptations that mean they can access all available learning opportunities.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children are consistently safe because staff are vigilant, confident and proactive. Leaders' effective oversight ensures that safeguarding practice is sustained. Children's welfare is promoted very well. Staff follow safer sleep guidance and explain how they monitor high-risk children such as those with asthma or premature babies. They securely understand the importance of respiration checks and safe positioning. Dedicated sleep rooms support calm routines that enable children to relax and sleep peacefully.

Children enjoy healthy meals and snacks. Staff wash hands with children to model hygiene and support independence. Children expertly peel bananas, pour drinks and choose fruit. Staff check food safety and manage allergens carefully to ensure children only have the foods they are allowed. As a result, children develop excellent hygiene practices and healthy lifestyles.

Children feel safe and valued. Staff cuddle poorly children, take temperatures and offer reassurance. They respond swiftly and sensitively to emotional needs. Children show confidence as they explore environments and engage with staff. They explore family albums with staff, pointing out their family members with big smiles. This helps children feel secure, cared for and safe.

Risk assessments are regularly updated and feeding plans amended as needed. Parents say they feel reassured, informed and confident in staff expertise. This builds trust and ensures children's safety and wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leadership is reflective, organised and ambitious. Leaders are highly committed to their provision for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and demonstrate expertise. They attend forums and maintain effective links with the local authority, ensuring practice remains current and responsive. Leaders have established highly-effective partnerships with parents and professionals. They work closely with parents to fully understand children's unique capabilities and needs. In addition, they have developed professional working with health-care professionals such as specialist nurses and inclusion partners from the local authority. This means that they can provide the most appropriate support that ensures all children make secure and consistent progress from their start points. Leaders know what funding is available for children and use this in the most appropriate ways that help children to make sustained progress from their start points.

Leaders support staff continuous improvement. They complete regular observations, peer reviews and spontaneous feedback. Staff complete activity sheets and discuss practice during supervision. Leaders test staff knowledge during walk-throughs of safer sleep and mealtimes. They recognise individual learning styles and tailor support. Staff feel supported by leaders to manage their workload and staff say they have a positive work-life balance. They feel supported through regular discussions about their well-being and value the open-door approach where they can speak to leaders at any time.

Leaders have developed performance management which is thorough. Staff complete probation reviews at regular intervals and have ongoing quality supervisions where they can discuss performance and ongoing professional development. Training is precisely aligned with the identified priorities of the setting. Sharply focused leadership drives consistently effectively practice across the setting. Staff feel confident, supported and empowered. This means that children benefit from sustained, high-quality provision. Senior leaders have secure oversight of the setting and support and challenge setting leaders. This means that setting leaders and staff are clear about their responsibilities and are able to consistently raise standards for children, particularly those with SEND, or those who have barriers to their learning.