Ducklings Furzton

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders recognise the context of their pre-school, including the varied needs of the children, and employ special educational needs professionals whose knowledge and skills are utilised effectively to guide staff and liaise with other professionals. There is a passion in ensuring equality of opportunity for all children, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known to children's social care and those who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Staff put in effective plans for children who need support and prioritise communication with families, regularly sharing strategies such as visuals to support communication.

Leaders identify children's needs quickly using developmental guides, precisely recognising which areas of development are lowest. Assessment is robust, which allows staff to quickly recognise any changes to identified needs and swiftly implement new strategies to support children. Leaders and staff consistently make a notable difference to children's experiences and progress. A wide range of adaptations are implemented, specific to each child, and these are used expertly. Staff have high expectations for all children to participate and recognise where simple adaptations can support this. For example, staff acknowledge a whole-group circle time may be upsetting for some children, and, therefore, children are included through playing elsewhere with favourite toys. Children show they listen and feel included as they smile and giggle in response to the group of children singing their name. These adaptations are highly successful in ensuring that all children can access their full funding entitlement.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have developed a detailed curriculum that considers the age range of children in the mixed room and builds learning over time across all 7 areas of learning in the early years foundation stage. There is a sharp focus on preparing children for school, which includes developing independence, using the toilet, recognising letters in their name, concentration and attention in larger group times. Staff know their key children well and understand that each child requires a different level of support for communication and language dependent on their stage of development. However, on occasion, teaching is not targeted precisely enough for individual children to be as highly effective as it could be.

Leaders and staff understand the importance of their interactions in developing children's communication and language skills, including increasing children's vocabulary in context, repeating words and sentences correctly and building sentences by adding one more word. A love of books is developed throughout the day. For example, adults extend children's knowledge of minibeasts by looking at non-fiction books together and discussing how children are feeling in reference to a story. Children explore the meaning of 'squish and squash' as they manipulate flour and oil to make play dough.

Children develop highly positive attitudes to physical development outside. They show coordination and balance as they walk on bucket stilts. Children build social skills as they wait for their turn on the obstacle course and listen attentively to staff when asked to jump from the plank, carefully landing on 2 feet. Children collaborate playing games and kindly invite other children to join in. Leaders understand the context of this community and that home life does not always facilitate a broad experience for every child's physical development, successfully prioritising this in the curriculum.

Staff encourage children to count carefully and check. They match shapes to real objects and link the number 2 to the number of eyes they have.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are known to social care, make sustained progress and are well prepared for the next steps in education, including school. The sharp focus on getting children ready for school has a successful impact. Parents universally comment that their children have gained new skills and knowledge through regular attendance and are well prepared for school.

Children increasingly gain confidence in communicating with their peers, including children who enter the setting as non-verbal or speak English as an additional language. These children rapidly understand and use more words or become able to use single words or visuals to communicate with their friends and key persons. Children thrive, as they are consistently encouraged and supported by staff to achieve well from their starting points.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff embed a mutually respectful culture where adults and children treat each other with kindness, care and respect. Staff are positive role models. They remind children to be careful around the younger children and to include them in play. Older children reflect this in their behaviour, asking other children if they would like a turn with their play dough mixture when there are not enough spaces at the table and they notice a younger child watching the activity.

Older children understand the routines well, and transitions between parts of the day are seamless. Children understand what is expected of them, and routines do not interrupt learning. Younger children are sensitively given reminders to stop and listen when the bell rings and are reminded what is happening next.

During whole-group times, it is the leaders' aim for staff to adapt teaching content and behaviour expectations to match the children's stage of development. When staff follow this aim and deliver whole-group times that are suitable for the age range of children present, children behave well, attentively join in and enjoy answering questions. However, this approach is not yet consistently embedded by all staff, and, on occasion, children become distracted, lose focus and are then unable to show their best possible behaviour.

Leaders are proactive in tackling barriers to children's attendance. They listen to families to understand the barriers and create solutions that ensure attendance improves. This clear focus enables children and their families, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care, to increase attendance, which in turn impacts the progress children make. Children become happier and increase friendships, they make progress with speech and language and the familiarity of daily routines improves behaviour.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff prioritise children's wellbeing, developing wonderful relationships that are respectful, warm and nurturing. This results in a trusting environment. Children thoroughly enjoy themselves. They feel secure, as they know staff listen to them and understand their needs.

Staff offer guidance and advice about healthy food choices with families, such as sharing photos of healthier packed lunch options to gently encourage families to make small changes.

During care routines, if children need additional emotional support, staff sensitively implement strategies that make the experience more enjoyable. Younger children are shown a nappy to help explain what is happening next, or children who find the routine upsetting are given toys to distract them. This helps all children to feel emotionally secure.

Children develop positive attitudes to healthy lifestyles, thoroughly enjoying nutritious and healthy snacks and a regular sports session. Children explain they eat vegetables 'to make them grow' and that 'exercise makes us strong'. Children manage risks themselves, readjusting a plank in the obstacle course to ensure that it is safe for the next person.

Staff are vigilant when children eat. They sit next to children with allergies and intolerances to ensure close supervision. They face children as they eat to ensure that any risks of choking are minimised, understanding that the younger children need observing more closely.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders thoroughly understand the context of their setting and the priorities this brings. There is a clear ambition for all children, and they make timely decisions to maintain high standards of education and care. The recent focus on improving transitions between activities has resulted in children being able to maintain high levels of involvement in their play without waiting unnecessarily. Transitions are now seamless.

Leaders accurately identify the strengths and areas to develop within the pre-school. They are reflective in keeping up to date with changes in statutory guidance and strive for continuous improvement. Continuing to support staff to implement even higher-quality interactions will ensure that staff maximise the positive difference they can make to all children's education.

Leaders understand the importance of partnership collaboration with parents and the significant impact this has on improving outcomes for children. Leaders carefully build respectful relationships with families and target additional individualised guidance for families who would benefit. Parents feel highly supported as staff prioritise time for them. Parents comment that they value the regular communication from the pre-school and how the information shared helps their children's development.