Ducklings Beeston

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff provide an inclusive approach to all children through their interactions and modelling of attitudes. They ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known, or previously known to children's social care, are understood. Staff generally develop supportive relationships with parents and carers and are proactive in their work with other professionals to ensure children's needs are met. They implement graduated response training to meet children's needs. As a result, children with vulnerabilities make very positive progress in their development. For example, young children who start at the nursery with little language soon begin using naming words and even putting words together.

Leaders ensure that the nursery provides an environment where all children are valued and supported, and consequently children thrive. They typically encourage staff to stimulate children's learning with a variety of visits and trips within the local community. Children enjoy visits to the local market to buy fruit and vegetables for their own snack. These experiences offer a wide range of learning and development opportunities beyond the nursery environment. Leaders consider the appropriate use of any additional funding and ensure that funding received is used to specifically support the needs of those children for whom it is intended. For example, staff provide children with additional one-to-one time to support their use of language.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have created a progressive curriculum that is understood by staff. They understand how their teaching supports children's development and progress towards what they need to learn next. The curriculum is carefully planned and ambitious for children's learning. Leaders and staff are clear about building on what children already know and can do. They have a deep knowledge of early years development and understand the importance of promoting children's personal, social and emotional development, as well as physical development. While learning is generally well supported across the curriculum, leaders acknowledge the necessity to further strengthen the teaching of mathematics. They recognise how more precise teaching of mathematics is required to ensure children develop a deeper understanding of early mathematical concepts and enjoyment of numbers and patterns.

Teaching supports all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children known, or previously known to social care. For example, children with speech delays receive targeted support that helps them become increasingly confident to use new language. Staff engage toddlers in warm, meaningful interactions, speaking slowly and calmly. They patiently and consistently introduce new words to develop new vocabulary, such as names for body parts, as children make models with play dough. Older children recall familiar stories and listen to each other with increasing attention. However, staff are not always clear on what they want children to learn from adult-led activities, which means that sometimes children's learning is lost

Achievement: Expected standard

Children are generally well supported to acquire age- and stage-appropriate skills across all areas of learning and development. They develop resilience and learn to persevere. Children build on what they already know and can do through repetition and practise of the skills they are mastering. For example, children revisit construction activities and talk about familiar environments.

Children learn to become increasingly independent and develop their communication and language skills, which prepare them for future learning and the eventual transition to school. Babies smile and babble confidently, toddlers begin putting words together and older children ask questions to further their knowledge. All children make progress from their starting points, including those who need extra support, those that have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known, or previously known to social care.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff support children to understand about behavioural expectations. They respond to any incidents of negative behaviour by intervening and generally use their interventions to redirect children. However, staff do not consistently explain to children why behaviours are unwanted and ask them to consider the consequences of their actions on others.

Staff support children to learn how to take turns and share resources. Staff plan activities outside to help children practise these skills, such as encouraging them to take turns to collect water from a tap and help their friends pour it into different containers. Staff enable children to learn about regulating their emotions and to understand how they feel. For example, staff encourage children to talk about how they are feeling and why, such as, feeling happy because it is sunny. Staff support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those known, or previously known to social care effectively, making adaptations to activities and routines to reflect children's understanding. They provide sensory activities for younger children to explore in a quieter area of the garden.

Leaders recognise the importance of regular attendance. They work with parents to demonstrate the positive impact of this on children's welfare and development. Firm parental partnerships enable two-way information-sharing and openness.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children's independence is typically promoted through enabling children to freely choose their own play activities. Children are able to access resources to develop their own play ideas, such as animals to play with in the water tray. Children are encouraged to pour their own drinks at snack time and serve their own food at meal times.

Staff ensure that care practices, such as nappy changes, are carried out sensitively and meet children's individual needs. They ask children before changing nappies and older children are supported to manage their own care needs. Children understand good hygiene routines and why these are important. For example, children understand the routine requirements in place, such as handwashing following using the toilet and before and after eating. Children can talk about how this keeps them safe from having germs on their hands as this could make them poorly.

Staff are very caring and attentive to children, which parents recognise, value and praise. Staff know their key children very well and understand their unique needs. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those known, or previously known, to social care, show a positive attachment to their key person. For example, babies snuggle into staff to share a story and older children talk to their key person about their play ideas.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a clear commitment to providing quality education and care. They are committed to ensuring the ongoing training and improvement of the skills of all staff. Leaders care about their staff and work to create a united team through empowering all staff to have a voice in identifying priorities for improvement. Staff feel supported by their leaders and are keen to further develop their skills.

Leaders are reflective and evaluative. They have an understanding about the strengths and areas for improvement within the setting. Leaders recognise the areas they would like to develop further to continue to promote improvement, including in the quality of teaching and delivery of the curriculum. They are proud of the positive relationships they have with parents and careers and how this benefits children. Parents say they feel welcome at the nursery and value the advice and support staff offer on matters such as potty training. Leaders are passionate about ensuring the nursery provides a warm, friendly and family-focused environment. They intentionally provide times for mixed age groups of children to play together to develop children's empathy for others. Leaders encourage staff to undertake training that is specific to individual children, for example to support children's speech and language. This knowledge supports staff to reduce any barriers children may have to their learning.