Early Start Lawrence Avenue

Inclusion: Expected standard

The setting promotes an inclusive approach to meeting children's individual needs. Parents value staff's commitment to recognising their children's interests and unique personalities. Staff know their key children well. They receive training on the graduated approach; this typically helps them to support children to receive the right level of support at the right time. Leaders support staff to develop targeted plans for children, including those who may need additional support. However, the implementation of these plans is not consistently applied. Leaders and staff work closely with parents to understand and overcome barriers to learning, ensuring children can access the full curriculum. For example, children's physical development and access to outdoor learning have been identified as a priority. Children engage in a wealth of outdoor learning experiences that support their successful physical development. They confidently balance, climb and build with large wooden blocks and skilfully ride trikes and scooters with increasing control.

Leaders use funding purposefully to enhance children's learning. For example, they have introduced home learning packs for parents to support children's progress further. They also employ outside professionals to come into the setting to provide interactive music, dance and yoga sessions. These help to enrich children's communication and language skills while building their physical confidence and creative development.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a secure knowledge and oversight of the curriculum. They monitor staff planning to ensure children experience a range of stimulating learning opportunities across all 7 areas. Good attention is given to children's emotional and physical development, with staff using assessment well to check what children know and can do, adapting teaching accordingly.

Children are typically supported by skilled staff who understand how young children learn. Staff engage children's interest through mostly good-quality teaching. For example, staff promote communication and language through effective questioning that encourages children to share their ideas. Older children enjoy discussing events in a book, explaining that the characters are excited to go to the lake because they are smiling. Children proudly turn the pages as staff foster independence, so they feel included.

Younger children enjoy making play dough. Staff explain the ingredients and encourage children to count and help with measuring. Children learn to share and take turns. However, some lose interest because they wait too long to participate fully in the activity. Shared observations with leaders show they recognise that practice needs strengthening to ensure consistent high-quality teaching across the setting. This includes reviewing background music in the baby room, as this may limit babies' ability to listen and respond to staff.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those who need additional support, make secure progress. Children are eager to learn. Older children are confident in their own abilities, demonstrating secure skills for their move to school. They initiate physical challenges as they build towers with large blocks and demonstrate to staff how they can climb and jump down safely. They are confident to express their wishes and to make their needs known. Younger children are observed accessing their indoor and outdoor environments with growing autonomy. They are confident to make choices about their play. However, at times, they are not fully involved in learning experiences, which has some impact on their ability to become fully independent. Children enjoy creative activities in the garden as they eagerly explore a range of sensory experiences. Younger children show perseverance and determination as they learn to ride trikes and how to balance on beams. They are developing secure relationships as they learn to play cooperatively.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children behave well. They have mostly secure, trusting relationships with staff and their friends. Staff know the children well and act as positive role models. They promote high expectations for behaviour, teaching children strategies to share and take turns with popular resources. For example, older children confidently explain how they use sand timers to monitor when it is their turn to ride the scooter. Younger children who are learning to manage their emotions receive reassurance that they will get their turn. These effective strategies enable children to regulate their behaviour, promoting resilience and positive attitudes towards their learning.

Leaders work with parents to build positive relationships. Parents value the warm, caring team of staff, describing them as the strength of the setting. They appreciate the information shared about their children's progress and daily activities to support home learning. However, settling-in procedures for new children are not consistently supportive, meaning some children take longer to settle. Leaders have acknowledged this is an area to improve.

Leaders prioritise good attendance and work in partnership with parents to ensure children attend regularly, explaining why this is important for their learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children benefit from warm, nurturing relationships with staff, which supports their developing confidence, independence and sense of security. Children explore and try new skills, as staff are close by to encourage them. For example, all children, including babies, learn positive care practices as staff explain why routines, such as handwashing and toothbrushing, matter. Older children confidently join in a toothbrushing song, making the routine fun.

Children develop independence as they help themselves to healthy snacks. Staff sensitively encourage babies to feed themselves, offering close supervision when needed. Babies' home routines and individual comfort needs are respected, supporting their rest and emotional wellbeing. Most children form secure attachments with their key person, although the current settling-in procedures are not significantly personalised to ensure all new children settle with ease.

Children are developing an understanding of their feelings as staff use stories, discussions and everyday interactions to teach them about their emotions. This helps all children, including those learning English as an additional language, to be confident in expressing themselves. Staff promote children's safety effectively, showing them how to use resources with care and planning topics such as 'People Who Help Us'. Children learn how to keep themselves and others safe.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leadership in the setting has strengthened since the last inspection. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and priorities for development and are working effectively alongside staff to raise the quality of practice. They demonstrate high aspirations for promoting an inclusive provision and have a clear understanding of the needs of the families they serve, including those who are disadvantaged and face barriers to their learning. Parents express high levels of satisfaction with the information they receive about their children's progress and welcome initiatives such as parents' evenings and coffee mornings. Leaders are reflective and recognise that partnerships with parents at the point of children starting to settle into the setting require further improvement.

Staff report feeling extremely well supported by leaders, valuing both the training provided and the attention given to their wellbeing. Staff are happy in their roles, which is evident in the warmth and care they show towards children. Leaders are committed to staff development and provide regular supervision. They acknowledge, however, that further work is needed to ensure greater consistency in teaching practice across the staff team.