Crafthole Pre-School

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently improve opportunities and experiences for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those facing other barriers to learning. They use rigorous monitoring to identify barriers to learning and wellbeing swiftly, and act immediately to address them. Staff draw on their secure knowledge of each child to plan precise, individualised support, that enables children to make progress alongside their peers. Leaders maintain secure partnerships with parents, carers and external professionals, ensuring interventions are timely, targeted and rooted in a shared understanding of children's needs. They use disability access funding to provide purposeful resources and enriching experiences that help children with SEND to thrive. Children continue to benefit from an environment designed to meet their changing developmental needs.

Leaders and staff create an accessible, adaptable environment that nurtures every child's sense of belonging. They adjust adaptations skilfully, so children experience sustained, positive impact on their learning and daily experiences. For example, staff act swiftly to support younger children's engagement during singing-and-rhyme time, knowing precisely what individual children need to take part and succeed. Staff respond confidently to children's needs, using visual prompts, signs and gestures to deepen children's understanding and support their participation.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders ensure an inclusive, high-quality curriculum, and set consistently high expectations for every child's achievement. Staff know precisely what they want children to learn. Leaders have strengthened teaching and learning since the last inspection, so that all children experience a rich, well-sequenced curriculum. Staff use every interaction as a teaching opportunity, skilfully adapting to children's needs, interests and curiosity.

Older children explore lines of symmetry through butterflies and challenge themselves to identify how many lines the different shapes have, using folded paper to test their ideas. Staff intervene with expert precision, offering just the right prompt to help children succeed. Younger children create butterfly masks and sing with joyful actions, as they fully immerse themselves in learning. Across the nursery, teaching radiates warmth, joy and energy, while children smile as they play and explore. Staff design purposeful activities that build on children's next steps in learning and development. For example, they create a hopscotch together using chalk, helping children identify and make marks that represent numbers.

Leaders and staff take prompt and effective action to address learning gaps and barriers, guided by expert knowledge and ongoing assessment. They nurture turn-taking, guide problem-solving and celebrate perseverance, supporting children to reflect and rethink when tasks feel tricky.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make excellent progress from their starting points and secure broad, deep knowledge across all areas of learning. They grow into confident communicators who express their ideas creatively, such as when they eagerly plan and build a butterfly house in the garden; negotiating resources and seeking support from staff. Children feel safe and form secure bonds with adults, which helps them develop independence and resilience. Staff provide highly personalised support for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring they overcome barriers and thrive.

Across the nursery, children show high levels of engagement and curiosity as they explore rich, indoor and outdoor environments, that promote creativity and thinking. They treat others with kindness and respect, and steadily build the confidence and independence they need to maximise their potential. These secure foundations prepare all children to transition smoothly through each stage of education, including their move on to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders foster a respectful culture, where children learn to manage their feelings and behaviour effectively. Leaders reflect on practice and establish clear, predictable routines that help all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, move calmly through the day. Staff use purposeful strategies, such as clapping rhythms to signal transitions, which maintains a settled atmosphere and promotes positive attitudes to learning.

Staff interact with children warmly and empathically, modelling respectful behaviour and offering consistent emotional support. Their approach helps children behave well, form secure friendships and enjoy spending time together. When children become distressed, staff respond quickly and sensitively; drawing on their detailed knowledge of individual needs to help children regulate and re-engage in learning.

Leaders take decisive, evidence-based actions to overcome attendance barriers. They work closely with parents and carers to promote regular, punctual attendance and to support children's routines and wellbeing. This proactive work ensures children benefit fully from the curriculum and daily experiences. As a result, children develop positive attitudes, engage enthusiastically in learning and grow into confident, increasingly independent learners.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders typically establish clear policies and practices that support children's welfare and wellbeing throughout the day. They greet children, parents and carers warmly at the start of each session, and use flexible settling-in procedures that respond to individual needs. This helps families build trusting relationships with staff, who strengthen this through the effective key-person system. Staff know their key children well and respond promptly to changes in their needs or circumstances. This warm approach helps all children, including those facing challenges, develop a sense of belonging and emotional security.

Leaders and staff place a focus on developing independence from an early age. They work with parents to help children achieve early self-care goals, such as eating safely and managing personal hygiene. However, younger children do not consistently receive differentiated support at lunchtime, or benefit from the good role models older children provide.

Routines play an important role in teaching children how to stay safe and make healthy choices. For example, children think about water safety as they put on and fasten their 'life jackets', before singing 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat', at singing-and-rhyme time. Staff also talk with children about healthy eating and staying hydrated, while leaders collaborate with parents to encourage balanced food choices. These routines and relationships help children build positive habits and develop confidence in managing their own wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders set a clear vision for the nursery and typically take effective action to maintain high standards and drive improvement. They know staff, children and families well, and their understanding of the setting's context ensures that decisions reflect the needs of the local community. Leaders generally evaluate the nursery accurately, identifying strengths and areas for development. Since the last inspection, improvements to strengthen safeguarding knowledge and enhance teaching have significantly raised the quality of practice across the setting.

Leaders prioritise staff wellbeing. They use responsive systems to monitor workload and provide professional development that aligns with staff interests and children's needs. Newer members of staff feel welcome and receive a thorough induction. Staff speak positively about the supportive culture and feel valued in their roles.

Leaders hold high expectations for all children, especially those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders' focus on differentiating learning for younger and older children has been successful. However, this does not yet extend to the lunchtime routine to ensure consistency of children's experiences during this key time of their day.

Leaders build partnerships with parents, carers and professionals. Their communication systems ensure that children's learning is celebrated, both at home and in the nursery. Parents comment warmly on the setting, reflecting on the positive relationships that support smooth transitions and a sense of belonging.