Dream Catchers Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Inclusion is well embedded throughout the setting, and every child is valued as an individual. Staff identify young children's individual needs at the earliest opportunity and respond promptly to ensure that they receive the support they need to thrive. They are committed to providing an inclusive environment where all children, including those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can fully participate in the setting. Staff consistently use simple language, songs, gestures and visual prompts to support all children's understanding and communication. They skilfully adapt their interactions and teaching to meet each child's stage of development, ensuring that all children can access learning experiences successfully. For example, staff use visual cues to help children participate confidently in daily routines. They recognise when expectations need to be adapted to reflect children's developmental needs, such as adjusting the length of activities to maintain engagement and success.

Leaders work proactively with children's social care to ensure that children who are known to, or have previously been known to, social care receive the support and opportunities they need to thrive and achieve positive outcomes. Regular observations and assessments inform collaborative planning to ensure that support is well coordinated. This enables children to make excellent progress from their individual starting points while feeling safe, included and valued within the setting.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

The curriculum that leaders and staff provide is ambitious and sequenced. It reflects the needs and interests of individual children and is highly flexible. Leaders and staff know children well and skilfully consider all the possible learning outcomes for all children. Staff provide appropriate challenge to children, and this helps to make activities and learning more purposeful. For example, staff recognised that many children who expressed an interest in planting and growing food did not have gardens at home. As a result, staff provided children with opportunities to actively engage in planting and growing fruit and vegetables at the setting. Children delight in talking about what they have grown from seeds and enthusiastically recall how they have grown the courgettes and peppers they have prepared for snack. They confidently use knives to chop the vegetables and encourage their friends to taste the fruits of their labour. Through these experiences, they learn about how things grow and develop important skills for life. In addition, the cook plans healthy meals, which incorporate the vegetables and fruit the children have grown.

Staff provide children with appropriate support, challenge and questioning that initiates a lot of shared thinking between staff and children. This helps children to deeply engage and engross themselves in their learning. Teaching across the staff team is consistently strong, and there are many experienced staff who display high-quality teaching practice and positive interactions. This helps children to make significant progress from their starting points. Staff act as very positive role models and show a strong sense of pride in what they do to enrich children's lives. This inclusive approach helps ensure that all children, including those who may face barriers to learning and/or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities have the same access to the broad and varied curriculum as their peers. Children receive a consistent and high-quality education programme. Staff ensure that all children are well supported as they progress through the setting. The well-planned transitions and consistent staff ensure that all children make the best possible progress in preparation for school.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make significant progress from their individual starting points and have secured the knowledge and skills they need for their next stage of learning. Babies and young children embed these important skills and knowledge. They develop secure foundations in all areas of learning, enabling them to build successfully on their knowledge and skills. For example, young babies confidently follow familiar daily routines, responding independently to consistent cues, such as a welcome song. They confidently choose the song spoon they want to sing along to and independently join in with the actions to the songs.

All children, including those who speak English as an additional language and those who face other barriers to learning, make excellent progress. Staff quickly identify their needs and provide early, effective and targeted support. As a result, children rapidly develop their communication skills, confidently using an increasing range of vocabulary, gestures and simple sentences to express themselves.

Children are confident, motivated learners who actively explore the stimulating environment and engage deeply in experiences that reflect their interests. They demonstrate curiosity, resilience and a willingness to try new experiences. All children demonstrate confidence in their physical skills. Young babies sit up with confidence, and older babies take their first steps. Toddlers are moving with increasing confidence and begin to climb on outdoor equipment. Older children run, climb and balance on outdoor climbing equipment with skill and independence.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children demonstrate consistent positive behaviour and attitudes to learning. Leaders have established clear, predictable routines that are fully embedded throughout the setting. Babies quickly become familiar with what happens next, giving them a deep sense of security and supporting their emotional wellbeing. Staff are highly skilled in promoting children's emotional development. They successfully help babies recognise and name their feelings, laying firm foundations for future emotional regulation. Staff know each child very well and use their detailed knowledge to anticipate behaviour, intervening proactively to meet children's needs before frustrations arise. They adapt routines in the moment to ensure that every child, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is fully supported. For example, staff recognise when individual children need additional time to engage in play before joining mealtimes, helping them to remain settled and engaged.

Staff are very positive role models. Their gentle approach and understanding of each child's unique needs helps every child to feel respected and understood. As a result, this helps create a highly inclusive environment where all children feel valued and develop a strong sense of belonging. Staff consistently promote independence through everyday routines, encouraging children to feed themselves, wipe their faces and make simple choices. Babies form secure relationships with caring adults and begin to develop positive interactions with their peers. Staff provide meaningful praise and celebrate children's achievements. This fosters confidence, resilience and a genuine enthusiasm for learning. Leaders promote good attendance and punctuality through careful monitoring and positive communication with parents and carers, recognising the importance of regular attendance in supporting children's learning, development and wellbeing.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing are promoted very effectively through warm and responsive relationships with staff. Staff know children very well and are highly attuned to their individual cues, responding sensitively to their needs and providing reassurance and comfort when needed. As a result, babies develop secure attachments, feel safe and show high levels of emotional security and confidence to explore. Staff consistently use simple language, visuals, gestures and facial expressions to help babies understand, make choices and express their needs. Every interaction is purposeful, supporting children's early language development and emotional wellbeing very effectively.

Leaders ensure that healthy lifestyles are fully embedded throughout the provision. Children enjoy nutritious meals and snacks prepared by the cook. Staff provide daily consistent opportunities for all children to enjoy outdoor play, whatever the weather. Very well-established hygiene routines support their health and wellbeing. Staff consistently follow safer sleep procedures and robust hygiene practices to ensure that babies remain safe.

Babies develop independence appropriate to their age and stage of development. They make simple choices during play. They begin to manage aspects of self-care, such as finding their own drinks, and willingly help to tidy away the toys. During mealtimes, staff sit alongside children, modelling and supporting age-appropriate self-feeding skills while responding sensitively to each child's individual needs and stage of development. Mealtimes are a social occasion and an opportunity for children to reflect on their learning and activities they have enjoyed.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have a secure oversight of the setting. They have a thorough understanding of the needs of the children and families it serves. Leaders show a deep commitment to providing high-quality care and education. Adaptations are made to respond to children's emerging needs. This approach ensures that children remain at the heart of planning and decision-making.

Parents and carers consistently express their gratitude to the leaders and their team for providing their children with the best start in their learning and development journey. They praise the regular and consistent communication and ideas for learning and support at home. Parents feel fully informed about their children's experiences, learning and development. This has a positive impact on children as parents are able to extend their learning at home. Parents are also able to follow routines and strategies at home, which support children with barriers to their learning and ensures consistency for children.

Leaders prioritise training and development of all staff. For example, many have undertaken training on how to support children's emotional regulation and behaviour. This has a positive impact on how staff support children's changing behavioural needs. Leaders value staff and support them in both their work and welfare. Workloads are appropriately managed. All staff comment that they feel confident when approaching leaders with concerns or to ask for further professional development opportunities, which will help to develop their skills even further. Leaders are committed to improving their practice and have created a supportive and reflective culture. As a result, staff feel motivated, and children enjoy consistent high-quality care and learning.