Feathered Skies Limited

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff know their children well. All families are included, valued and welcomed. Home visits and flexible settling-in processes ensure that staff and parents share information about children's needs from the outset. Staff use a graduated approach to monitor children's development and provide support to help them make progress. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are fully supported by tailored individual educational plans.

Staff collaborate with external professionals to receive targeted advice and support. This helps them to adapt and provide tailored support for the children in their care. For example, they consult with local speech and language therapists and early years specialist teams.

Leaders and staff identify barriers to children's learning effectively. For example, visual aids, prompts and language boxes are used in everyday practice. Staff provide small-group interventions to support children's language skills and emotional regulation. Children talk about how they are feeling and what has made them happy, using the emotions board as a visual prompt.

Staff have developed positive partnerships with parents and carers, which helps to ensure that children have their needs met. They share information regularly and tailor this support to suit the needs of the parents. For example, they create individual language boxes to use in the home environment, supporting consistency and a sense of belonging.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a broad curriculum that reflects children's interests and learning needs. Overall, they deliver this effectively, helping all children to build on what they know and can do. Children typically make progress across all areas of learning and access varied activities that meet children's interests and next steps in learning. Staff adapt activities to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who face barriers to their learning, make progress in their learning. However, leaders should enhance the knowledge and skills of staff to help them implement the curriculum even more effectively.

Staff talk about and use numbers, regularly throughout the day. This supports children to develop their understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, children count and recall numbers when lining up to go outside. Babies engage in back-and-forth interactions with adults, while exploring the sensory activities. Physical development is promoted well, providing opportunities to aid their walking. Older children show delight when participating in outdoor games, learning to jump through hoops and follow instructions.

Staff support children to develop a love of stories, books and rhymes, promoting early literacy. They ensure that books are freely available for all children to select independently.

Achievement: Expected standard

Typically, children achieve well from their starting points and make secure progress across the curriculum. Gaps in learning and development generally close quickly, especially for those who face barriers to their learning. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Children are confident communicators. They hold conversations with adults and other children. They learn to listen to others as they talk about their favourite activity that day. Children enjoy looking at books independently and listen to stories being read. For example, older children listen attentively to a favourite story and excitedly talk about the characters, noises and events in the stories.

Babies beam with delight as they mirror actions linked to familiar songs and rhymes or seek comfort and reassurance when needed from familiar adults.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff provide a warm, nurturing and positive atmosphere where children develop a secure sense of belonging. They skilfully adapt the environment and the routine to ensure that all children's needs are supported. For example, babies' sleep times are followed to ensure a consistent approach, providing structure and security. Staff offer home visits and flexible settling-in sessions, to ensure that the needs of the children are fully recognised and understood.

Children behave well and they understand the nursery rules. For example, they show good manners and use resources respectfully. Staff praise children for their efforts, listening and working together, developing important social skills and problem solving. Staff recognise the importance of routine and security for children, valuing their individual needs, especially when family members are away for long periods of time.

Leaders promote good attendance. They work with parents to help them understand the importance of children attending regularly to support their learning and development. They follow up promptly when children are absent. Leaders and staff build positive relationships with parents to identify and address any barriers to attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

The wellbeing and safety of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are fully supported in this setting, by staff who know them well. For example, babies seek reassurance from their key person when they become tired or need a cuddle. Staff place focus on children's wellbeing, supporting their care routines to provide comfort, safety and emotional security.

Mealtimes provide valuable opportunities to promote children's independence and social skills. Older children use good manners and staff encourage independence. However, at times, the needs of younger children are not fully supported, impacting on their confidence and self-esteem.

From a young age, children wash their hands independently and staff guide them through the process, helping them to develop positive hygiene habits. Older children manage toileting independently and staff provide ample opportunities for children to practise and develop their independence in self-care tasks.

Staff build positive and valuable relationships with parents and carers. They have a thorough understanding of the needs of the community and take time to understand the needs of the families of the children that attend. They skilfully use this insight to respond to the varying needs and circumstances of individual children and families. Staff share information daily with parents so that they are informed and supported.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have not ensured that the ratio requirements in the under-2 room have been met. Although leaders are aware of this and currently recruit staff, this is a breach to the statutory requirements. Generally, the setting's recruitment procedures are robust. Any identified gaps in staff's suitability and training are swiftly addressed. For example, staff complete a thorough induction programme at the start of employment.

Staff have regular supervision meetings with their manager and they attend a range of training. Staff share that wellbeing is fully supported in this setting. Effective and open communication between leaders and staff is valued, improving staff morale and retention.

Leaders and staff work successfully in partnership with parents and other external agencies to ensure the best support and care for children. For example, they have regular contact with the local specialist team and speech and language therapists. Parents speak highly of the setting. They value the support they receive on a personal level, and for their children's learning. Leaders work to continually reduce barriers to children's learning and development. For example, parents speak of the help and continual support received and the events arranged by the setting.