Embsay Children's Centre

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders create a fully inclusive culture within the setting and the wider community. Staff know all the children in their care well. They build strong bonds and accurately assess their needs and achievements. They identify any gaps in children's learning at an early stage and work closely with parents and senior staff to identify and plan for the next steps in the children's development. For example, staff carefully analyse patterns of behaviour for children who find it difficult to manage their own emotions to provide the support they need. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make progress that prepares them well for later learning as they build their skills in gradual, precise and measurable steps. For example, staff work closely with speech and language, medical and physiotherapy professionals to plan, teach and regularly assess their progress.

Leaders sharply focus on ensuring that staff have the training and mentoring to provide targeted and systematic provision for children with SEND and other vulnerable learners. Senior staff rigorously pursue all avenues to help children and their families acquire the support they need. They carefully consider the use of additional funding to help all children access the setting's full curriculum and, for instance, ensure staff receive specific training to support children's physical or other needs.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders and staff place a carefully planned and systematic curriculum at the heart of learning for all children. They make effective use of assessment to meet all children's needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff work closely with parents, for example to accurately pinpoint babies' and children's stages of development from the start to ensure they settle and make positive progress.

Leaders ensure staff have the depth of knowledge and understanding to support progressive learning. For example, staff in the baby room are trained in supporting safe sleeping routines, eating and early communication skills. There is a consistent focus on enriching the personal and learning skills children need for later learning. For example, babies are supported to learn to listen well for extended periods and distinguish sounds as they use shakers and bells to accompany traditional nursery rhymes and songs. Staff build on this with older children, who learn increasingly complex songs that help them recall the days of the week, seasons and months of the year and recognise rhymes and syllable patterns.

Staff are knowledgeable and confident in building children's vocabulary through, for instance, asking questions as they join conversations in role play and at snack times. They use a range of strategies to develop children's mathematical skills and ensure they have a secure understanding of quantities and the order of numbers.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children progress well from their starting points and learn to express themselves clearly and with confidence. They benefit from frequent opportunities to explore well-chosen books and stories, which help them learn about the world around them. For instance, babies and young children eagerly sit with staff and friends as they investigate different textures and enjoy recognising simple repeated phrases such as 'that's not my …'. Older children learn to follow a detailed plot, understand the nature of different characters in a familiar book and explain their emotions as the story progresses.

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve well in all areas of their learning. They learn to build and refine their body control as they explore many opportunities indoors and outdoors to strengthen their core muscles, their grip and balance on increasingly challenging soft-play and climbing structures. Children develop their mathematical skills and language as, for instance, they place soft-play stepping stones in number order and solve puzzles to find which went before, after and next.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have very high expectations for children's positive behaviour and attitudes throughout the setting. Staff are consistently effective role models and establish warm relationships with all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They establish routines from the start so that babies and children soon learn to feel confident and assured. Staff work closely with parents to reflect home routines, such as sleep times, to help babies and young children transition confidently into the life of the setting. As a result, children are very well behaved and show care for others. For example, they are patient and polite at snack and mealtimes and follow staff's very positive example.

Staff make effective use of carefully considered routines to develop children's sense of belonging. For instance, welcome songs at the start of the day encourage children to greet each other warmly and to recognise each other's names. Children's attendance and punctuality are positively encouraged. There are well-established routines for staff and parents to communicate if there are any unexplained absences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders establish a warm, caring and positive ethos throughout the setting. This is based on assessments that sharply identify children's individual needs. Key persons establish effective relationships with children and their families from an early stage. Consequently, children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are happy and confident throughout the setting.

There are robust procedures to support babies and children starting the setting to settle in smoothly. This contributes to their confidence and keenness to learn from the start. The same level of care and planning helps children to transition through the setting's classes and then to school. Parents are very appreciative of the guidance and communication staff provide, and this assures children's successful induction and overall wellbeing. Children are helped to recognise and manage their own emotions and behaviour. Well-chosen books and games help children to reflect on and understand their feelings.

Staff promote children's health and physical wellbeing. For example, children's development is systematically nurtured through programmes such as activity songs, dance and the use of the large and well-planned and extensive outdoor facilities. Children learn to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly. Children appreciate the value of healthy eating. They become increasingly independent in serving themselves with the nutritious meals prepared for them.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

The well-qualified and experienced leadership team has continued to sustain high-quality provision since the previous inspection. Leaders have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and weaknesses. There are robust procedures to draw on the views of parents, staff and children to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the children's centre. Leaders and other senior staff work towards challenging actions, such as building a fully inclusive and sharply focused curriculum, to have a sustained impact on children's achievement and wellbeing, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They support this through strategic research, training and links with the local community.

Leaders place a high value on well-trained and positive staff to promote the highest standards. Staff are well qualified and a high proportion of apprentices supported by the setting achieve a distinction grade. Leaders use staff's self-evaluation, specific training days and regular staff meetings to promote staff's wellbeing and effectiveness. Consequently, staff morale is high, and they are keen to extend their knowledge, for example, as emotion coaches and mathematics champions.