Farley Sparsholt Outdoor Nursery School

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders take swift action to reduce barriers children face to their learning. Practitioners are confident in assessing the needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and in how to plan to meet their needs. They regularly review their approach and make changes as needed to ensure any gaps in children's development start to close. Children who face barriers to learning make rapid progress from their starting points, and their progress is clear for all to see. Practitioners ensure they celebrate all achievements with children and make sure each child feels valued.

Leaders and practitioners work closely with families and other agencies to ensure children are receiving the support they need. They are swift in making referrals to these agencies, such as speech and language therapists, as needed. Leaders understand the impact that additional funding can have for children who face barriers to learning. They demonstrate how they would use additional funding well to meet the needs of individual children. This would be decided after a period of assessing and planning for their development to ensure they have closely identified where the additional support is needed. For example, they would use it to fund specific training or resources that would encourage children to build strength in their motor skills.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have been in post a very short time; however, they have a clear understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching. For example, at times, not all staff are consistently strong in their understanding of the curriculum and using this to extend and challenge children's learning further. This is something that leaders have already recognised and have devised plans to develop further.

The curriculum is ambitious and ensures children receive teaching across all areas of the early years foundation stage. Practitioners support children's language development purposefully. They are continuously introducing new vocabulary and modelling how to pronounce words and use them in sentences. Practitioners teach children mathematics throughout the day. They count objects with children and extend their learning by providing further challenge. For example, practitioners encourage children to think about and develop their addition skills as they work out how many more penguins they need.

As the nursery is an outdoor nursery, there is a key focus on children's physical development. As well as developing their gross motor skills as they climb, jump and explore, practitioners also strengthen children's fine motor skills as they learn to use objects such as pipettes in the water.

Leaders ensure any adaptations needed for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are in place, with a particular focus on children's personal, social and emotional development. For example, they ensure that favourite activities are set up ready to help children feel safe and secure in the environment. This helps children separate easily from their parents and carers as they enter the nursery. Practitioners use assessment well to ensure children are making progress from their starting points towards their next steps. They use this information to plan activities and tailor the provision to individual children.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children are remarkably resilient and confident. This helps prepare children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, for their next stage of learning, such as school. Children strengthen their physical skills as they take on challenges such as obstacle courses, which encourage them to balance and climb. Children develop secure friendships with their peers and practitioners. This helps their personal, social and emotional development as they learn how to work collaboratively together. Children are very independent as they learn to put on and take off their many layers of clothing. They also learn independence skills through their everyday routines, such as pouring their own milk and self-serving lunch.

Children learn a wide range of new vocabulary throughout their day. For example, children learn about reflective and matt surfaces as they explore different objects. Children learn mathematical skills through their play. For example, they learn about problem-solving and shape, space, and measure as they learn to navigate the outdoor space. Children are able to clearly identify numbers and relate these to concepts, such as age. For example, they work out which number symbolises their age and which number symbolises the practitioner's age.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

There is a positive environment for children, with consistent expectations for behaviour across the nursery that are age and stage appropriate. Practitioners consider each individual's needs and whether adaptations around expectations are needed. These are then quickly implemented to ensure the needs of all children are met. Children behave well and have secure relationships with their peers and with practitioners. Children collaborate and play well with each other. For example, they work together to build a den and giggle in delight as they sit underneath it. There is a clear culture of friendship and kindness with very few minor conflicts, such as over a toy, between children. They support one another from a young age, for example holding each other's hand to help them balance on the obstacle course.

Leaders understand the importance of punctuality and attendance. They regularly promote this to parents and follow up promptly with parents when children are absent and leaders are not aware why.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

There are secure attachments between children and their key person. For example, children beam in delight when they see them and race over for a hug before leading them away to play.

Children develop a strong understanding of personal safety and their physical capabilities as they take appropriate risks in the environment. For example, children check whether it is safe to jump from the crates before excitedly jumping from the top. Children take risks and challenge themselves as they happily play outside. Practitioners support children as they develop their understanding of risk and safety as well as their own capabilities. They encourage children to make the judgements for themselves and promote a 'can-do' attitude. Practitioners develop children's resilience and ability to persevere by ensuring the environment provides the appropriate challenge. For example, children problem-solve how to get water for their creations in the mud kitchen, and then they skilfully carry the water across the uneven ground in ladles. They beam in delight at their success. Practitioners support children as they learn to recognise, express and manage their emotions. Children have a secure sense of their emotional wellbeing.

Routines support children's individual needs. For example, babies take their naps when they need to, and the routine is adapted to meet this need. However, routines and transitions are not yet consistently precise across the nursery. For example, on some occasions, some children become restless as they transition into group activities or mealtimes. This impacts the quality of teaching children receive from some practitioners.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

There are new leaders in post since the last inspection, including the manager who started very recently. Leaders have a clear understanding of the nursery's strengths and have already started to implement actions for areas identified for improvement, such as further developing the routines for the youngest children. Leaders ensure the decisions they make impact positively on the needs of all children, including those who face barriers to learning.

Leaders ensure that practitioners' wellbeing is a high priority and provide practitioners with opportunities to give feedback to leaders and to work together to solve the concerns raised, such as staff workload. This means that staff workload is now more manageable, and leaders continue to reduce workload further. For example, they have prioritised the recruitment of staff.

Practitioners have access to professional development through in-house training, as well as being supported to further develop their knowledge through completing their early years qualifications. This training helps to enhance the quality of teaching and children's learning and development.