Daisy's Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff swiftly identify needs of all individual children and fully understand how to support them to make progress in relation to their starting points. Staff typically plan individually to minimise learning barriers for all children. This includes disadvantaged children, those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing and those in receipt of additional funding. For instance, staff attended specific training to develop their knowledge, such as Makaton training and training on visual prompts. This has supported staff to help children to manage the changes in routine more effectively. Leaders use additional funding effectively to support the individual needs of children. This includes purchasing resources and equipment that they know will support children's development and build on their interest of learning outdoors.

Staff assess children's progress and ensure that they meet the children's individual needs effectively. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff make effective adaptations to support all children and provide a consistent approach to children's care and learning. For example, they share and provide the same resources with parents that they use at the nursery, such as visual prompt cards. Generally, all staff have established positive partnerships with outside agencies. This includes sharing training ideas and implementing strategies to support children, such as usual visual aids.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff are working hard to ensure that they embed and successfully implement an engaging and challenging curriculum across all ages in the nursery. They have implemented a curriculum throughout the nursery to cover all areas of learning. However, the curriculum is more effectively and consistently embedded for older children. Leaders recognise this and are working very hard to develop practice. Staff plan to identify children's next steps and know them well. However, this is not yet consistently implemented in specific and individual ways. For example, babies enjoy their experiences and are happy and settled, but activities are not necessarily consistently building on what they need to learn next. However, leaders are reflective and proactive in further supporting staff.

Overall, staff support children to be confident to communicate. Older children make up their own narratives as they explore making potions and enjoy retelling stories in their own way. However, on occasion, conversations can briefly appear slightly stilted. Therefore, at times, children do not get consistent opportunities to build on their already developing communication skills.

Children have access to a wide range of opportunities to cover all areas of learning. For example, staff carry out simple counting with babies, and older children talk about quantities and estimation as they explore water.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make progress in relation to their starting points across all areas of learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding. Children develop skills to help prepare them for their next stage of learning. For instance, all children, including the youngest, are independent and choose their own play. They know the routines and listen intently to instructions.

Children fully understand the needs of each other and respect that some of their friends will require different support and manage their emotions differently. For example, children ask each other if they are okay and ask them if they need to go in a calm spot when they can see them potentially becoming overwhelmed. All children, including those with SEND, are well supported by staff who attend specific training to support children's individual needs.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

All staff are positive role models and support children to behave well. As a result, children of all ages fully understand what is expected of them, and older ones remind each other of the rules. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding. For example, children remind each other to use walking feet indoors. Babies help tidy up and gesture to the door when this is complete as they know the routines and understand that it is about to be outdoor learning time.

Typically, staff are skilful in identifying how to support children with SEND. This is evident when staff redirect children to an activity that they know will regain their focus. All staff know children and babies well and ensure that they are settled and happy. Staff know how to meet babies' individual needs effectively and swiftly identity when babies are in need of a bottle, nappy change or sleep.

Children play well together and enjoy each other's company. There is a positive relationship between staff and children. For example, children happily seek out staff to share ideas, and babies giggle happily as they excitedly play peekaboo with staff.

Leaders monitor children's attendance closely and ensure that they follow up any unexplained or unexpected absences. This helps staff to identify any potential patterns of attendance that may require additional support.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

All children are happy, settled and confident. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have successfully created safe and welcoming learning environments for children of all ages. Staff have successfully established an effective key-person system that supports all children to feel safe and secure. Generally, children engage in activities and learning experiences that maintain their interest. This includes children using safe and age-appropriate climbing and balancing equipment to build on their physical skills.

All children are independent and manage their own needs. This includes understanding the importance of thorough handwashing and positive oral health routines. During mealtimes, staff teach children about the importance and benefits of healthy eating, and staff comply with safer eating procedures. Children have opportunities to learn about their emotions and manage their feelings in effective ways, such as using picture cards to indicate how they feel. Staff know all children and are successful in meeting their individual needs. This includes meeting their personal care needs, such as providing safe sleep spaces when babies become tired. Staff help teach older children to meet their own needs, such as independently using the bathroom.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have worked extremely hard to support the team to build morale and make significant improvements since changes in staffing structure. It is evident that there is highly effective processes in place to ensure that they coach, support and mentor all staff. This includes providing individualised bespoke training to build on staff's strengths and develop their confidence in all aspects of practice, including embedding a more intentional and purposeful curriculum. This area was identified as a particular weakness, and leaders are developing staff's confidence extremely well in the areas highlighted that need strengthening. Vast improvements have already been implemented and are having a positive impact on children's wellbeing and progress. Leaders are extremely passionate, dedicated and have very high expectations of both themselves and staff. Therefore, all staff strive to provide the best possible outcome for all children and are keen to continue to develop further on their knowledge and skills.

Leaders are very evaluative and reflective on practice. Staff's wellbeing is supported, and workload is manageable. Leaders prioritise the wellbeing of staff and ensure that they work together as a team to highlight areas they wish to build further on. This includes enhancing their curriculum even further. There is a strong partnership with parents and other early years professionals. For example, staff keep parents informed of their children's learning and next steps and share children's achievements with them routinely. Staff routinely communicate with early years professionals, including staff at settings that children also attend. They carry out observations and make next steps in learning together. Leaders and staff help provide children with a strong and consistent link to their shared care and learning opportunities.