Churchinford Preschool CIO

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff create a warm and highly supportive environment where children's individuality and uniqueness are valued and celebrated. There are robust assessment systems in place. This means that barriers to learning are identified swiftly, and leaders and staff use their extensive and detailed knowledge of individual children to implement highly personalised support plans. Leaders and staff involve parents every step of the way and are very proactive in seeking and acting on advice from a range of external professionals. They actively monitor interventions to ensure that they make a significant impact on children's learning.

Leaders and staff skilfully design the environment and plan activities that specifically target the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) as well as benefiting the learning and development of all children. For example, they have recently introduced a daily 'mini-mile' routine, which is helping all children to develop balance, strong muscles and stamina. All children, including those with SEND, make sustained and sometimes accelerated progress from their starting points.

Leaders use early years pupil premium and disability access funding in consultation with parents and other professionals to provide resources that support shared learning at home. This means that children benefit from consistent support in the setting and at home.

Leaders ensure that staff have access to training to further extend and develop their knowledge and expertise to best support children to overcome any barriers to their learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders know children and their families well and have crafted an inclusive and ambitious curriculum that meets children's individual needs. Staff generally understand the curriculum intent and use their knowledge of individual children to focus on their next steps in learning. For example, staff skilfully adjust their language levels according to the age or stage of the child. This means children make good progress with using and understanding words.

Staff use children's interests to teach key skills. For example, the children, including the youngest, have become very excited about writing their own names. With encouragement, children find their name cards, and then staff support them sensitively to form letters correctly. The children clap their hands and 'high five' each other in delight, celebrating their success.

Leaders implement a well-sequenced mathematics curriculum that means children build on their existing knowledge and acquire a secure understanding of mathematical concepts. Staff take every opportunity to teach children to count, repeating number names in order and modelling counting skills in many different contexts.

Leaders place a high priority on helping children to understand their feelings, and this is weaved through the curriculum and taught explicitly through stories. However, staff confidence in using positive behaviour management strategies to support children's personal, social and emotional development is not yet consistently embedded across the staff team.

Leaders and staff provide a range of opportunities to support children's physical development, including regular visits to the local park. They also help children develop their sense of community by visiting the local nursing home.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children achieve well from their starting points, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children acquire knowledge sequentially, building on what they already know and can do. Parents, particularly those who have children with SEND, comment very positively about the progress their children are making. As staff continue to build greater consistency in their teaching and interactions, this ongoing development will help all children strengthen and deepen their learning over time.

Children consistently and confidently follow well-established and familiar routines throughout the day. They develop their sense of belonging and start to explore the wider community by visiting the local shops and playing fields. They develop their motor skills effectively, building strength and coordination.

Children are confident communicators who enjoy back-and-forth conversation with each other and the staff in the setting. They learn about their feelings and can express them appropriately, which helps them to make friends and get along with each other. Children of all ages have positive attitudes to learning. They are interested and eager to engage. Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning, whether this is within the setting or when they transition to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have created a warm and positive environment. Children demonstrate kindness and respect for others, showing the impact of the setting's focus on nurturing positive relationships and building self-confidence. Staff take every opportunity to praise children for both their effort and achievement. This helps children to be resilient and motivated to learn.

Expectations for behaviour are high, and staff generally model positive interactions and encourage turn taking and cooperative play. However, consistency across the setting is still developing, and, occasionally, some children do not receive the support they need to manage their emotions and re-engage in learning as swiftly as they might.

Children follow the routines of the setting, and staff use visual and auditory prompts along with signs to prepare children for change. This means that children transition well between activities throughout the day. For example, when staff show children a timer, they know that when it rings it will be time to stop playing and tidy up.

Leaders give a high priority to monitoring children's attendance. This demonstrates how they value the importance of attendance and how attending regularly benefits each child's learning and development. They work closely with parents to understand individual contexts and put plans in place to overcome any barriers to accessing education. Leaders have clear procedures in place with all parents for informing them of a child's absence.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders greet children and their parents warmly when they arrive at the start of the session. They have designed highly flexible and robust settling-in procedures tailored to individual needs. Home visits are encouraged when required and settle sessions carefully planned, meaning trusting relationships between staff, children and families develop swiftly.

Staff develop this relationship further by implementing a highly effective key-person system. All staff know their key children very well and act swiftly in response to children's changing needs and circumstances. Children's emotional wellbeing is consistently prioritised to ensure that care and learning are tailored to each child's needs.

There is a sharp focus on developing independence from an early age. Staff and parents work together to help children achieve early independence goals. For example, children quickly learn to eat safely and manage personal hygiene.

Leaders use routines very effectively to teach children about staying safe and making healthy lifestyle choices. For example, each time children go outside to play they actively take part in the risk assessment, checking the gate is locked and the area hazard free. This helps children understand danger and the importance of keeping themselves safe.

Staff talk to children about healthy eating choices and the importance of staying hydrated. Leaders have worked strategically with other agencies and parents to embed a culture of healthy eating. This has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the food children choose and enjoy eating at lunchtime and builds healthy habits for the future.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders know the staff, children and families well. They have an excellent understanding of the setting's context and how it serves the local community. They have an accurate assessment of the setting's strengths and areas for development. For example, as this is a relatively new staff team, leaders are aware that aspects of the curriculum and behaviour management are not yet consistently embedded across the setting and are taking steps to address this.

Leaders have robust systems in place for staff wellbeing, and staff comment positively about working in the setting. However, leaders are yet to embed systems that help staff to identify and engage in meaningful professional development that meets staff's interests and the needs of children. The trustees play an active role in supporting both the manager and staff, facilitating supervision and mentoring when appropriate.

Leaders have high expectations for all children, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities. These children are at the heart of all decision making. This ensures that they succeed and thrive alongside their peers.

Communication with parents is effective. Leaders have implemented systems for sharing information that ensure that children's learning and development are prioritised and celebrated in the setting and at home. Parents comment positively about the nursery, reflecting the successful partnerships that have been built between children, their families and the whole nursery team.