Clarence House Tattershall

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders do not consistently use additional funding that some children receive to support their individual needs. In addition, they do not share with key members of staff that some children are in receipt of additional funding. This means that funding is not always spent appropriately and does not help to close any gaps in children's individual learning needs, such as their speech.

Staff identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities early. Overall, they work with parents and other professionals to support children. Other professionals are invited into the nursery where they observe children and liaise with staff to help identify specific targets to help children progress in their development. This includes providing images to help children understand routines during the day. Staff typically provide children with one-to-one support to help them develop skills, such as to learn how to interact with others, supporting their social skills. This helps children to play confidently and interact with others.

Staff manage transitions well when children face changes in their lives. For instance, staff invite school teachers to see children in the nursery before they move on to school. This helps children to become familiar with the adult who will care for them. Furthermore, staff liaise with parents about how they can help children to be emotionally ready when they transition from the nursery to home-school learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff implement a curriculum that enables children to follow their interests and build on what they already know and can do. For instance, staff use simple and repetitive words, such as 'mix, mix, mix' when babies show an interest to use tools to stir, promoting their early speaking skills. Generally, older children listen well when staff give them instructions, such as to stand in a line to wait their turn to wash their hands. Staff provide children with experiences to develop their physical skills. This includes staff staying close to babies to promote their safety as they negotiate climbing equipment. They develop the muscles in their legs as they begin to climb, holding staff's hands for support. Staff offer older children resources to build on their play experiences. Children experiment using planks of wood to create their own obstacle courses. They move across the course, developing the strength in their bodies as they climb up objects and jump off the end. This enables older children to challenge their abilities and to take and manage risks in a safe environment.

Staff weave mathematical language into children's play well. They count as toddlers stack foam bricks to build a tower, modelling how to count to five. Staff use language to describe position as they engage in activities with babies. For instance, staff move objects and explain how they go up and down. Staff show children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) how to play alongside others to help develop their social skills. This results in children with SEND playing alongside groups of children during water play without any adult support.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children develop suitable skills and knowledge that will help them to be prepared for future learning. For instance, children engage in activities to be physically active. Babies learn how to move their bodies forwards and backwards on rocking equipment, developing their core strength. Toddlers and preschool children learn how to use their hands to flatten dough instead of using a rolling pin, helping to develop the muscles in their hands.

Preschool children confidently remember previous learning. This includes recalling from memory how they can make dough, such as by adding flour, salt and oil together. Overall, children are supported with their emotional well-being effectively, such as during times of transition. They visit the next room they will be attending in the nursery gradually and at different times of the day. This helps them to become familiar with staff, their surroundings and embedded routines. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities progress well from their starting points in learning. They develop social skills as they begin to interact and play alongside others. However, some children do not fully benefit from individual additional funding as it is not used to minimise gaps in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Overall, leaders and staff are positive role models that promotes positive behaviour. For instance, they lower their bodies to children's level when they play alongside them and engage positively in their play. This encourages children to have positive attitudes to learning. Staff use different techniques with the different ages of children to help them understand behavioural expectations. For instance, staff use distraction to divert babies from for instance, grabbing other children. Toddlers and preschool children learn about the rules and boundaries. For example, staff remind them to walk indoors and to run outdoors.

Children enjoy positive interactions with their peers and staff. Toddlers and pre-school children confidently express their thoughts and views to staff, who listen, helping them to feel valued. Children talk and interact with their peers as they play games and engage in imaginative play. Overall, children show good manners, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff embed routines during the day and support children with SEND to follow these. They give children clear explanations when the routine changes and help them to understand what needs to happen now and what will happen next. Staff understand the importance of children follow routines, including attending the nursery regularly. They explain the benefits to parents that includes promoting their children's development and to provide consistency for children.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Mealtimes are a social occasion where staff sit with children to initiate conversations and promote their safety. Staff help children to understand how to use cutlery safely to eat. They show children how to use safety knives safely to cut up fruit at snack time before providing them with cutlery during lunch time. Toddlers and preschool children independently serve themselves lunch and are supported by staff to make healthy choices around food. Staff help children to learn further healthy habits. This includes talking to children to help them understand that milk helps to build healthy bones and teeth to give them 'beautiful smiles'.

Staff adapt their interactions with children during mealtimes to meet their individual needs. For instance, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive additional encouragement to eat their food to promote their health. When some children struggle to regulate their emotions during mealtimes, staff recognise and support children during this time. For example, they provide children with comfort and use a calm voice to sing songs to them. This helps children to be calm so they can return to eating.

Children show an understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For instance, they blow on their food before eating. Staff talk to children about road safety when they walk with them during visits into the community. Leaders provide parents with information about the appropriate use of screen time with their children at home. This contributes to promoting children's safety and welfare.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders do not support all staff with coaching and support to build on their practice and promote their wellbeing. For instance, some staff do not receive opportunities for one-to-one supervision. Therefore, this impacts negatively on staff morale and the care and learning they can provide for children. Furthermore, not all staff are given information about their key children who are in receipt of funding. They are not consulted as to how best to spend the funding to support children's individual needs. Therefore, additional funding that some children receive is not used effectively to enhance their experiences.

Leaders reflect on some of the experiences children receive. For example, they have made changes to the garden, such as new equipment to promote children's physical skills. They intend to erect further canopies in the garden to provide children with more shade when they play outdoors to further promote sun safety.

Staff inform parents about their children's day, care routines and how they can further support their children's learning at home. Staff work closely with health professionals to identify how best to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This contributes to children with SEND progressing from their starting points in learning, such as their social interactions with others. Staff help children to learn about the local community. For instance, they take children to see decorations that are displayed in houses at certain times of the year. This helps children to learn about different cultures and traditions. Children are supported to explore nature, for instance, staff ask them to collect items such as sticks and pine cones.