Dalemor Explorer Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders are committed to promoting a continuous, inclusive culture across the nursery. This passion is shared and understood by all staff and children consistently receive high-quality, inclusive practice. Staff complete robust assessments and ongoing observations of the children. They are knowledgeable in child development and this means strategic next steps for learning are in place. Any gaps in learning or specific individual needs are also swiftly identified. Staff are highly responsive to children's changing needs and ensure strategies are in place to support them and have a positive impact on outcomes. This is successfully achieved through stringent monitoring of progress and ongoing and meaningful discussion with parents and carers. Leaders work closely with parents and carers and external professionals to ensure a collaborative and consistent approach.

Leaders promote ongoing, quality training for staff to ensure they are highly skilled and feel confident in their role supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. Leaders' use of any additional funding received, such as early years pupil premium funding, is purposeful and targeted. For example, the provision of additional activities outdoors, provided by a sports coach and forest school leader, enable disadvantaged children to access enrichment activities. This helps to improve children's physical skills. They learn about turn taking by working in teams and build their confidence.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Children experience an inclusive, well-rounded and sequenced curriculum. Leaders ensure the flexible, ambitious curriculum is consistently evaluated and understood by the knowledgeable team. This ensures all children including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or have barriers to learning, make significant progress.

Leaders ensure there is a sharp focus on promoting children's social, emotional development and speech and language. Children play in a harmonious, language-rich environment. They access a wealth of books. Children join in spontaneous singing, which helps language development. Children learn signing to communicate their needs. They engage in meaningful conversations with the staff which supports them to become confident communicators and ask lots of questions. Staff introduce new words during activities to extend vocabulary, such as 'pipette', 'experiment' and 'bicarbonate'.

There is a strong emphasis on outdoor learning and forest school participation. Children show increasing independence and perseverance as they enthusiastically dress in preparation for forest school. They understand the rules to keep them safe when walking to the wooded area. They thrive in the outdoor space, running, digging, making dens and engaging with the forest school leader as they listen intently to instructions. Babies and toddlers enjoy daily walks in the local environment and even the very youngest children show kindness as they help their friends put on their sun hats ready for garden play. Staff ensure mathematical learning is woven through all activities. For example, children make their own dough and learn about quantities, weight and measurement. They count spontaneously and make size comparisons when using mathematical resources, such as number rods.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make rapid progress in their learning as a result of attending nursery. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those that face other barriers to learning and/or wellbeing who make excellent progress from their starting points.

Children are confident, settled and happy. They feel safe and secure in the environment and support they receive from nurturing and attentive staff. Children flourish in the language-rich environment, and participate in meaningful conversations with staff and their friends. The use of signing and picture prompts ensures all children have a voice. This has a very positive outcome for all children and contributes to their speech and language development effectively.

Children have every opportunity during the daily routines and activities provided to learn skills needed to be independent and curious learners. Children learn in a most relaxed and calm atmosphere. They are well prepared and supported ready for the next stage in learning, for example when they move rooms with the nursery or transition to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently role model the high expectations they have for all children attending. Children are keen and eager learners. They show curiosity and focus on learning. They are absorbed in their play throughout their time at nursery. As a result, children's behaviour is exemplary. Children have a sense of belonging and self-worth. They receive consistent encouragement, reassurance and praise for their efforts. This significantly boosts children's confidence and self-esteem. Highly-skilled staff identify children who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing and anticipate their needs. For example, they support them to maintain the expectations of the nursery through subtle guidance, reassurance, visual prompts and resources provided. This helps build on children's skills gradually to help them settle into the daily routines.

Leaders work effectively with parents and carers to ensure that they understand the importance of regular attendance. They support families and offer a flexible drop-off to ensure that children benefit from their time at nursery. Staff are aware of the policy and procedures in place and take swift and thoughtful action if needed.

Children have formed trusting and mutually respectful relationships with the small team of staff at nursery. They have made friendships with other children attending. Children confidently approach staff for reassurance when needed as strong bonds are formed with their key person.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children benefit from a wide variety of rich learning opportunities that support their physical development. For example, they engage in regular sports activities outside of the nursery. They have space to run at speed. Children develop hand-eye coordination as they learn the skill of using bats and balls and learn how to master obstacle courses safely. These sessions are adapted to ensure they are fully inclusive and enable all children to fully participate.

Children learn the importance of staying healthy as staff engage them in conversations at mealtimes about healthy choices. They learn the importance of sitting still and not talking while eating, so as not to choke, as staff gently remind them of how to stay safe. Staff are sensitive and respectful to children's personal needs during care routines. For example, staff ask babies if they may change their nappy, and ensure children's privacy and dignity at this time. Attentive staff are responsive to children's needs, for example, babies are cuddled and soothed when they are tired. They are offered their comforters and are able to sleep peacefully uninterrupted.

Children develop a sense of emotional wellbeing. Children feel safe and secure and are effectively supported by staff to express their emotions and describe how they are feeling. Staff are subtle in their approach as they support children to understand the impact of some behaviours on others. Staff interactions with children are very positive and significantly contribute to children's emotional wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about their role. There is an embedded culture of self-evaluation. They strive for excellence and rigorously reflect on practice, identifying the setting's strengths and swiftly addressing any areas to improve and develop. Children are placed at the centre of all decisions made. Leaders support staff through consistent monitoring of practice and participation in ongoing professional development opportunities. Staff share the high expectations for quality care and education, and speak with enthusiasm about their role. They are dedicated to providing children with the best possible start. Staff comment that their workload is considered and their wellbeing is supported. Leaders share their expertise effectively with staff, including how to assist children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Leaders and staff engage effectively with parents and carers, who are included in all aspects of the nursery. They value and positively encourage their contribution in their child's development. For instance, staff share a wide range of activity ideas with parents to continue learning at home. Staff regularly consult with parents regarding children's individual needs. They provide parents with resource bags and information about stages of development, such as guidance with potty training, and provide meaningful support. Any additional funding received is used to great advantage to support children's welfare and close any gaps in learning. This collaborative approach creates an enabling environment that meets the diverse and unique needs of all attending.