Excelling Kids Daycare

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders ensure that each child that attends the nursery is included. They are proactive in removing barriers to learning, such as adapting the timings of sessions to allow children to have their full early education entitlement. Leaders are aware of the diverse area in which children live and belong to. They teach children about some festivals and celebrations. That said, leaders have not thought about how they can best support children in gaining a broader understanding about similarities and differences between themselves and others.

Leaders prioritise staff's training on the approach to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They maintain secure partnerships with external professionals. This ensures that timely interventions are provided for all children, including those with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language.

Leaders use additional funding very well to support children and their families. They provide training for families to better support children's communication and language development at home. Additionally, children are taken on visits to places that they would not usually experience, such as the farm. These experiences help to ensure that children receiving additional funding are not at a disadvantage.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Overall, leaders provide children with an ambitious curriculum. It builds on the small steps of knowledge that children need to learn and the order that this should follow. Older children enjoy taking part in a number hunt outdoors. They demonstrate their mathematical knowledge through counting. However, some aspects of the curriculum need to be further refined to ensure that it consistently keeps younger children engaged in their learning. For example, some staff pitch some activities too high for younger children and they lose interest in their learning.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive a bespoke curriculum. This helps to ensure that they are not at a disadvantage. Children receive broad learning experiences that keep them motivated to learn. All children make expected progress across the areas of learning.

Staff assess children's communication and language skills when they first start. This provides staff with a clear understanding of how they can best support children to be confident communicators. Staff refer children to external professionals, such as speech and language therapists. This helps barriers to children's communication to reduce and helps children to make secure progress in their communication and language.

Staff give priority to children's physical, personal and social development. Children relish playing outdoors. Staff skilfully encourage children to use climbing apparatus and teach them how to be kind towards one another. Children show excellent social and personal skills. This supports children well in readiness for their move on to school.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language benefit from effective support in their learning and development. They achieve well and make typical progress from their starting points. A strength of the curriculum is how it supports children's communication and language skills. Children engage in meaningful conversations with each other and use a wide range of vocabulary. They show a love of reading. Children enact the roles of characters, share books with their friends and recall a trip to the library.

Children like to explore their creativity. They show high levels of engagement while painting. They paint in the style of different artists and demonstrate a love for learning. Children show determination while learning how to solve problems, such as learning the names of shapes. They show excellent physical dexterity while playing outdoors. Children are well prepared for their next steps in learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff have created a safe and nurturing environment where children feel valued and supported. They provide children with clear and consistent messages about the expectations for their behaviour. Staff are positive role models and teach children about respect, acceptance and tolerance. Children form secure attachments with staff and develop friendships with their peers. They share toys and take turns in their play. Children behave well and know what is expected of them.

Staff teach children the importance of recognising and knowing their own feelings and emotions. Children take part in relaxation activities, such as yoga and meditation. Children focus on their breathing patterns to help keep them calm and relaxed. They discuss their emotions and talk about strategies to use if they are feeling a certain way. For example, children tell staff how they can cheer their friends up if they are feeling sad, such as giving them a hug to make them feel better.

Leaders implement robust systems to foster children's regular attendance. They work in close partnership with parents and carers to address barriers effectively, including offering flexible attendance arrangements to support family circumstances. This approach has a positive impact on children's attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Care practices are effective. Staff are sensitive to children's individual needs. For example, they adapt settling-in sessions for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities to better support their emotional wellbeing. This approach helps children to feel secure and they develop a strong sense of belonging.

Staff teach children about the importance of keeping physically active. They visit the park and take part in an assault course. Staff talk to children about the importance of exercise. Children listen to the rhythm of their heartbeats after running outside. They show a growing awareness of the importance of keeping their bodies healthy. Staff teach children about keeping safe while they are away from the nursery. Children talk about the importance of road safety. They relish visits from a crossing patrol officer, where they learn how to use a pedestrian crossings safely.

Routines are securely embedded across the nursery. For example, staff tailor sleep time arrangements to children's individual needs. They follow the latest government safe sleep guidelines and show a secure understanding of the importance of sleep for children. Staff provide activities that help children to recognise and talk about their emotions. Children enjoy sharing books that explore their feelings. Staff respond sensitively, offering reassurance and guidance when needed.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for the nursery and want the best for children and their families. Self-evaluation is accurate. Improvement plans are sharply focused, and include the views of parents, carers and children. In the main, leaders have successfully implemented a programme of professional development, coaching and mentoring for staff. They meet with staff on a regular basis to check in on their ongoing suitability to work with children. However, the programme of professional development does not focus on helping staff to raise the quality and consistency of their teaching.

Leaders place a high priority on staff wellbeing and are mindful of workload demands. They ensure that staff have dedicated time to complete paperwork and other tasks. Staff commend leaders for their support. They state that working at the nursery is like being part of 'one big family'.

Leaders know the importance of working with external professionals to ensure that children get the support that they need. This is particularly evident for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and children who speak English as an additional language. This helps barriers to children's learning to reduce and supports children to make secure progress.