Echoes Childcare Limited

Inclusion: Expected standard

Typically, leaders identify, assess and meet the individual needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who may face barriers to their learning. Staff use assessment to identify gaps in children's learning. They work closely with parents and carers to establish children's next steps of development. Leaders and staff access training to develop their understanding of how to support children with SEND. Recently, leaders have refreshed training for all staff on internal medication procedures to ensure they meet the individual needs of all children. Generally, staff make effective adaptations to ensure all children with SEND feel included and supported in their learning. They identify children's interests and incorporate these into activities or make sure they are accessible in the environment. For example, some children show a keen interest in wooden items. Staff acknowledge this and provide additional wooden puzzles. This helps to keep some children with SEND calm and focused. Overall, staff monitor the progress of children with SEND and put interventions in place to support their development. Generally, this means children with SEND make progress in their learning from their starting points. However, leaders do not consistently consult with all professionals who support children with SEND so they can be alert to any changes in how they may meet their needs.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Generally, there is an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum in place. Leaders identify the skills and knowledge they want children to learn. Overall, leaders prepare children well for their next stage of education. Staff build on children's physical development to support them to gain the skills they need to manage their personal care needs sufficiently. They encourage babies to practise grasping objects and use large tweezers in the garden. Staff support toddlers to hold and carry cups in outside water play. These skills are purposefully sequenced so that children can eventually master using a water dispenser, fill up their water cups and feed themselves using controlled hand-eye coordination skills. Staff adapt the curriculum for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to ensure their transitions to their next room are smooth. For example, children make regular visits to meet children with SEND in advance of any change. This means children with SEND can become familiar with new faces and begin to make relationships with new friends before they move. Books are a key part of the curriculum. Staff strengthen children's knowledge of number through books, and children refer to numbers in their play. Staff read to babies with expression. Babies babble and say single words. Staff skilfully repeat these back, giving babies the opportunity to hear the words back clearly with the correct pronunciation. Toddlers become more familiar with well-known stories. Eventually pre-school-age children retell and re-enact stories to each other independently. However, staff do not consistently use all opportunities to extend all children's learning effectively. For example, while children are happy during story times or outdoor play, some children do not receive consistent support to broaden or deepen their learning further.

Achievement: Expected standard

Generally, all children make progress across all areas of learning in the early years foundation stage. Babies develop their early communication skills effectively. For example, they learn the hand sign to say they are hungry. This helps babies to express and communicate their needs more clearly. Generally, toddlers benefit from repeated opportunities to hear stories. This helps them to strengthen their listening and attention skills further. Typically, pre-school-age children practise their speech by engaging in back-and-forth conversation with staff and each other.

All children widen their knowledge of numbers. Babies hear staff read books with numbers. Toddlers run around the garden calling out numbers they know. Pre-school-age children self-serve their lunch. They count out how many potatoes and vegetables are on their plates. Overall, children show confidence in mathematical language and concepts.

Typically, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make progress in their language and communication. For example, they progress from using no words when they start, to being able to say the names of their friends. Children with SEND or those that may face barriers to their learning show perseverance to master new skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Overall, leaders and staff have high expectations of children's behaviour. They talk to children at their height and remind them about how to be kind and respectful. For example, before toddlers go outside, staff remind them to not 'scare the bees'. This helps to develop children's consideration of others and builds on children's social skills effectively. Staff support all children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to manage their feelings effectively. They implement strategies to help children who may become overwhelmed. Staff talk about emotions with children and use sensory resources, such as putty. This helps children to be calm and regulate their feelings. Children establish secure bonds with staff who know them well. Staff are attentive to children's care needs. For example, staff respond quickly when babies feel tired or overstimulated. They offer them comfort and/or distract them, ensuring they prioritise their wellbeing. Leaders monitor children's attendance and punctuality to ensure their safety and welfare. They adapt children's sessions to meet the needs of individual children. Leaders share the importance of attending regularly with parents and carers to further children's learning and development. Generally, children develop a positive attitude towards their learning. They are active learners and benefit from daily outdoor experiences. However, at times, staff do not consistently extend children's learning, which impacts on their attitude towards their learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders ensure policies and procedures to promote children's health and welfare are robust and understood by staff. For example, they monitor and oversee the administering of medication, to ensure staff meet children's individual care needs. Staff encourage children to be independent in their personal care and learn to live healthy lives. They consider the age and stage of children, including those with barriers to their learning. Staff teach them how to wipe their noses. Toddlers and pre-school-age children know to put their tissue in the bin and wash their hands afterwards. Staff remind children why they need to do this. These children remember it is 'to wash away the germs'. Children love to be physically active. They ride balance bicycles, play running games and weave in out of obstacles as they develop their spatial awareness. Children are resilient. If they fall over, they get back up again and keep going. Children learn about oral health and how to care for their teeth. Staff support this by providing children with nutritious food. Leaders implement an extended settling-in period for all children. This helps children to settle quickly. Staff observe that children form warm and trusting relationships with them swiftly as a result. Although leaders prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing, they do not have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of all external professionals working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders recently notified Ofsted of an incident relating to the incorrect administration of children's medication. Since this incident, leaders have reviewed procedures and risk assessments to reduce the likelihood of this happening again. Leaders have retrained all staff on how to administer medication to children to ensure children's safety. Following a recent change in managers, leaders continue to implement additional or amended policies into practice and monitor the impact of the improvements.

Staff state they feel supported by leaders. Overall, they access a variety of training opportunities to improve their professional development. For example, staff recently attended training on 'school readiness'. Following this, staff ensure mark-making resources are always available, as well as opportunities to strengthen finger dexterity are part of the environment. As a result, staff notice that children show increased control and manipulation of tools. However, leaders have not consistently further developed how they build on staff's skills so all staff consistently extend children's learning effectively.

Partnership with parents and carers is effective. Parents receive regular communication on what their children learn and how they can further their development at home. For example, staff give parents ideas on how to expand children's vocabulary so parents can continue using these strategies at home. However, leaders have not strengthened communication with all professionals who support children.