Fenwood House Day Nursery Blackburn

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders have established an inclusive culture in which children's emerging needs are identified through early assessment, regular observation and progress monitoring. Overall, staff adapt the environment, routines and teaching to reduce barriers to children's learning. Leaders work closely with parents and carers, valuing their views and offering advice and support. They also collaborate with other professionals and external agencies to coordinate support and improve outcomes for children.

Additional funding is used purposefully to support disadvantaged children and those known to children's social care. This includes providing healthy food and specialist resources, such as balancing equipment, to strengthen children's physical development, coordination and balance. Leaders monitor the use of funding and evaluate its impact on children's wellbeing and progress. Staff typically use appropriate communication strategies so that all children, including those who are non-verbal, can express their wants and needs. For example, babies use signs for 'more' and 'finished' during activities. As a result, children receive timely, individualised support that helps them participate, make progress and achieve.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of what they want children to know and be able to do. Their broad and ambitious curriculum covers all areas of learning and builds children's knowledge, skills and independence. For example, children select their name cards and self-register. Leaders recognise that the next stage in developing the curriculum is to ensure this ambition is translated consistently into teaching that responds precisely to each child's stage of development.

Staff provide varied opportunities for sensory exploration and prioritise children's emotional wellbeing. This ensures that children feel safe, secure and ready to learn. Staff model language throughout the day to build vocabulary and extend thinking. Babies enjoy songs and rhymes, while older children revisit familiar stories, predict events and use props to sustain their attention. The well-resourced indoor and covered outdoor environments enable children to follow their interests and make choices in their play. Everyday routines also promote independence. At snack time, children select and cut fruit, pour drinks, clear their plates and wash them.

Staff observe and assess children to identify what they need to learn next. Teaching and resources are adapted so that disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities can access the curriculum. These adjustments reduce barriers to learning and help all children overall make progress from their starting points. However, there needs to be greater consistency in how staff use assessment information to shape interactions and plan children's next steps. Staff need to use assessment precisely to plan purposeful teaching, balancing adult-led and child-initiated learning and build systematically on what each child knows and can do. Teaching is not yet consistently tailored to children's individual stages of development.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make secure progress across the curriculum and grow in confidence. A language-rich environment strengthens communication. Children revisit carefully chosen books. They discuss events, express ideas and feelings and learn from staff and peers. Through routines and play, they develop resilience, independence and responsibility. For example, older children pack toys away and tidy up, ready for snack time. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children and those facing other barriers also make positive progress from their starting points. Staff typically adapt support and use communication strategies so children can participate successfully and build knowledge and skills. Children are prepared for their next stage, including school. They apply early literacy and mathematical understanding in purposeful play, follow established routines and manage personal care. This growing independence, together with enhanced language and social skills, give children a firm foundation for future learning and helps them approach new experiences with confidence.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children generally behave well because leaders ensure that expectations are clear, consistent and appropriate to their age and stage of development. Staff model respectful behaviour and calmly help children resolve minor disagreements, share and take turns. For example, children wait patiently during beanbag-throwing activities. Well-established routines enable children to feel secure and ready to learn. Children develop independence as they freely access the resources, making decisions on what they want to play with. Staff make appropriate adaptations so that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those facing other barriers, can participate fully. Children make choices, persevere and show a positive attitude to learning and new experiences. At snack time, they sit together, serve themselves and discuss healthy foods with staff. Their willingness to explore the appearance, smell and taste of grapefruit demonstrates their confidence to try unfamiliar foods. Regular outdoor play further promotes active, healthy habits.

Leaders work constructively with families to promote regular attendance and punctuality. Flexible arrangements help children take up their funded early education entitlement. Overall, children understand routines, respond positively to expectations and become considerate, confident and increasingly independent learners.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders provide a safe, welcoming environment where children's individual care needs are understood and met. Staff work closely with parents and carers to follow babies' established sleeping, feeding and care routines. This provides continuity between home and nursery. Safe, age-appropriate sleep arrangements are used, and children can access drinking water throughout the day. Mealtimes and snacks are calm and sociable. Staff supervise children closely and follow clear arrangements for allergies, dietary requirements and medical needs. Children develop independence as they prepare food, pour drinks and clear away. Additional funding provides nutritious breakfasts and snacks for disadvantaged children when needed. This helps them to concentrate, participate and enjoy their day.

Attentive key persons establish secure, responsive relationships and respond promptly to children's cues. These trusted attachments help children settle confidently, manage transitions and seek reassurance when needed. Family photographs, familiar routines and sensitive interactions strengthen children's sense of belonging. Staff use stories, including 'The Colour Monster' book, to help children begin to recognise, express and manage their emotions. Daily outdoor play promotes physical development, confidence and healthy habits. Children typically practise movement and learn to manage age-appropriate risks safely in well-resourced spaces. Inclusive adaptations enable all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing other barriers, to participate and develop independence.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders understand the setting's context and build trusting relationships with families and the wider community. They respond flexibly to individual circumstances, helping parents and carers access funded early education in ways that meet their needs. Stay-and-play opportunities help new families form connections and become familiar with the nursery. Leaders gather detailed information before children start so that staff understand their interests, routines and care needs. Settling-in sessions aid the transition process. Family photograph albums reinforce children's identity and sense of belonging by keeping important people familiar and visible. Daily conversations, photographs and observations keep parents informed about their children's experiences. Parents' evenings provide a fuller picture of progress and next steps, supporting continuity between home and nursery.

Leaders work constructively with professionals and external agencies to coordinate support. They seek specialist advice promptly when children with special educational needs and/or disabilities require additional help. The setting's location on school grounds supports a purposeful partnership. Shared events, including sports days and an Easter bonnet parade, broaden children's experiences and build familiarity with school. Regular check-ins and supervision enable leaders to monitor staff wellbeing, respond to concerns and involve staff in shaping practice. Professional development reflects both staff interests and setting priorities. However, leaders do not consistently evaluate the impact of new learning to ensure it is embedded consistently and improves experiences and outcomes for children.