Davyhulme Pre-School Limited

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders create a robust culture of inclusion that supports every child. The identification of children's needs is immediate and takes place from the moment children start at the setting. Staff gather a wealth of information from parents. They learn about what children know and can do, their cultures and beliefs, information about their home life, health and any barriers to their learning. Leaders and the team are highly committed to their work with children. They ensure all children, particularly those who face barriers to their learning, have the best possible start to their education. Leaders consider children's individual needs, when making decisions. They use additional funding to promote children's gross motor skills, particularly for disadvantaged children.

Children build confidence in their physical abilities. Staff ensure that children are closely assessed, and prompt support put in place when needed, to help children reach their full potential and/or catch up to their peers. Leaders ensure that children who are known to, or previously known to, children's social care are well supported. They welcome other agencies into the preschool to work in partnership with children and families. These children develop extremely close bonds with their key person to help them feel safe and secure.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have designed a broad and sequenced curriculum at 'The Burrow'. This is generally delivered well. Staff use information from parents and carers and their own observations to understand children's starting points. However, staff should fully consider what children already know to continually extend their learning and help them make the best possible progress in all areas of learning. Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious, creative and highly responsive to children's needs. Staff put their heart and soul into teaching. They model ambitious vocabulary and give children time to practise and embed new words. For example, children play in the water and ask a staff member what the item is and she replies, 'It is a pipette' and shows him how to fill it '...and this is a syringe'. Staff's interactions ignite children's thirst for learning. For example, staff colour and add bubbles to the water in the water tray so that children cannot see different objects and ask children to pick them out and describe them. Children pull out the different-shaped letters and describe objects the letter begins with. This supports children's problem-solving and thinking-skills.

Staff provide consistently high-quality teaching opportunities that overall support children's learning, including children that face other barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. The curriculum for physical development is extremely ambitious. Staff use their spacious garden expertly well providing activities that have a positive impact on children's physical health. For example, the children race around on bikes with helmets on at extreme pace, making their own decisions about direction and speed. They ride around the forest garden, using creative thinking by moving the cones to weave in and out. This means that children are able to measure their own risk and be active.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children develop a secure sense of belonging within the setting due to the loving care they receive. All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, make excellent progress from their starting points, enabling children to achieve their full potential. Children demonstrate thought provoking curiosity about the world around them. They show great excitement when engaging in their bug hunt, looking for insects and bugs under the logs with their magnifying glass. They are fascinated by the different ants and watch them eating the leaves. The children listen and copy the sound of the wood pigeon and recall past learning experiences, such as when they found the wood pigeon on the bird-watch cards. They use rich and expressive language to describe the bird and its feathers. As a result, children are well prepared for their next stage of learning, with secure knowledge, skills and a positive attitude to learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

The setting's culture is defined by high expectations and a planned approach to emotional regulation. Relationships are characterised by deep mutual respect. Staff do not merely manage behaviour but actively scaffold children's social-emotional intelligence. Leaders and staff establish a positive environment and are excellent role models. They embed commonly understood, high expectations for behaviour according to a child's age and stage of development across the setting. Routines are seamlessly embedded, allowing transitions to occur with minimal adult intervention.

Children demonstrate high levels of self-regulation. Their behaviour is impeccable and they play alongside each other exceptionally well. Staff skilfully guide children to work beautifully together, and they talk through feelings in most activities. Children demonstrate thoughtful teamwork, coordinating their efforts as they help one another to move the cones out of the way of the bikes safely and efficiently. They require minimal adult intervention and consistently show high levels of respect, patience and turn-taking. Leaders prioritise the importance of children's attendance, and this is carefully monitored. This is successful in ensuring that any barriers to attendance are immediately identified and supported. As a result, children have consistently positive attitudes to their learning and to each other. The staff are exemplary role models. They have extremely high expectations of children and teach them about respect and tolerance. For example, the children sit together at lunch and wait patiently for their friends to finish before they go to play. Staff have high expectations, a nurturing manner and well-established routines to support children's outstanding behaviour.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing is given high priority across 'The Burrow'. Leaders plan extremely supportive transitions for each individual child. They allow extra sessions so that children settle at the setting and develop confidence in their new surroundings in their own time. Staff develop nurturing relationships with all children, especially their key children, while working closely with parents. They know the children extremely well and use their knowledge to support children as they transition through the nursery. For example, they share information with other staff, and the school to ensure children have a seamless transition.

Staff fully support all children to understand that physical development, oral health and personal safety are fundamental to their overall health, learning and wellbeing. They explain to children about safety when they are on outings and having cones around hazards means danger. They have set up an activity with teeth coloured and the children have to brush the teeth clean with the toothbrushes. This shows that they are learning about oral health and how these routines keep them safe and healthy. The staff take the children on daily walks to encourage physical activity. They stop at the fruit bush on their walk and talk about coming back to pick them when they are ripe to make a pie. Children's welfare and wellbeing are expertly supported through attentive care, responsive relationships and health promoting routines. Children feel secure, develop confidence and are supported to thrive.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

The enthusiastic, proactive leaders and inspiring staff team at 'The Burrow' provide carefully tailored care and planned learning opportunities for all children including children who face barriers to learning. Leaders work collaboratively as an excellent team and have high expectations for all children. They continue to evaluate the preschool and have a reflection book where they share ideas. They frequently reflect on the activities and the environment to ensure it meets the children's needs. Professional development is given high priority. Leaders develop secure links with the local community. For example, children visit a local foodbank. Additionally, leaders successfully encourage children to participate in initiatives which focus on environmental awareness, sustainability, and recycling by donating and purchasing at the local charity shop.

Staff's wellbeing is a clear strength. Leaders check in with staff often and use supervision to offer guidance, reassurance and professional challenge. The open-door culture is genuine. Staff say they can talk to leaders at any time and feel heard. As a result, morale is high, and staff feel happy in their jobs, and stability across the team benefits children every day. Leaders and staff proactively work in partnership with parents and other professionals to secure the best support and care for their children.