Finkley Amesbury Nursery and Pre-School

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment where all children are valued and supported to participate fully. They typically know children and their families well, building strong relationships that help children feel safe, secure and confident. Leaders identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) early and work closely with parents, carers and external professionals to ensure support is tailored to individual needs. This typically enables children to access learning opportunities and make progress from their starting points.

Staff generally adapt activities, routines and resources so children, including those with SEND, can learn and play alongside their peers. They recognise children's strengths and individual learning needs, using these effectively to encourage engagement and participation. Staff typically promote a culture of respect and belonging, helping children to develop positive attitudes towards diversity and inclusion.

Children's emotional wellbeing is generally supported effectively. Staff use calm and reassuring approaches, alongside strategies, such as quiet spaces and breathing techniques, to help children understand and manage their feelings. Children typically develop increasing confidence, resilience and positive relationships with others. Staff are also sensitive to children's sensory needs, including mealtime challenges, and generally encourage them to explore new experiences at a pace that suits them, being mindful of their levels of development.

Partnerships with parents are generally effective. Staff typically share information regularly and involve families in decisions about their children's care and learning. Overall, leaders and staff foster a nurturing and inclusive environment where children's individual needs are recognised, and they are typically supported to achieve their potential.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Although leaders have a clear vision for the curriculum and maintain effective oversight of the nursery, staff do not consistently implement this vision in practice. As a result, children do not always benefit from learning experiences that build progressively on their knowledge, skills and understanding across all areas of learning.

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, enjoy participating in activities and play alongside their peers. Staff provide suitable experiences that mostly support children's development across all areas of learning and encourage them to explore and investigate. For example, children enthusiastically make play dough and identify the ingredients they use, including flour, salt and water. Staff comment on children's play and introduce language to support their communication skills. However, staff do not consistently make the most of opportunities to extend children's knowledge, skills and understanding. For instance, they do not encourage children to predict what might happen as ingredients are mixed together or build further on opportunities to develop mathematical concepts, such as measuring and quantity. As a result, children enjoy activities but do not gain the maximum learning from these experiences.

Babies confidently explore the environment and enjoy opportunities to crawl through tunnels and investigate resources. However, staff do not provide sufficient opportunities for babies to develop a broader range of large physical skills. For example, there are limited opportunities for babies to climb, balance, pull themselves to standing positions or negotiate different levels and surfaces. Consequently, opportunities to strengthen babies' large physical skills are reduced.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children do not always receive effective support to help them make the progress they are capable of in their learning. While children with additional needs are identified and supported, strategies are not implemented consistently across the setting for all children. As a result, some children do not consistently access learning experiences that fully meet their individual needs.

Children are happy, well settled and typically enjoy their time at nursery. They form positive relationships with staff and participate in a range of activities and experiences that support their learning and development. For example, babies explore the sensory room, where they investigate different lights and textures, while older children enjoy exploring sand in the garden to develop their sensory awareness.

Children engage in activities that staff create for them. However, children are not always clear about what is expected of them or the purpose of some activities. As a result, opportunities to extend children's learning, deepen their thinking and promote sustained engagement are not identified. Children are not always supported consistently to develop their independence during transitions, as practice varies between staff members.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Staff do not always organise the learning environment and daily routines effectively. Transitions between activities are sometimes poorly managed, resulting in children spending unnecessary periods waiting or becoming disengaged. For example, staff do not ensure children are aware of what to do before mealtimes and some children wait for long periods for the next thing to happen. Staff deployment is not always effective in supporting children's learning and behaviour during these times. Consequently, opportunities for purposeful learning and meaningful interaction are reduced.

Children are generally happy and confident within the setting. Positive relationships help children feel safe and secure, and an inclusive approach encourages them to participate in play and learning. Staff provide group learning experiences to help children develop turn-taking skills and learn to interact positively with their peers. However, staff do not always give children clear explanations about what is expected of them or the aim of activities. As a result, the purpose of the activity does not have the desired impact to prepare children for their next stage of learning.

Leaders have prioritised improving behaviour, particularly among older children. They have invested in staff training and provide ongoing modelling of positive behaviour management strategies to strengthen practice. Staff use positive reinforcement to encourage appropriate behaviour and provide additional guidance for children who need extra support. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are included in activities and routines, with staff adapting support to encourage participation, independence and self-regulation.

Leaders monitor children's attendance and work closely with families to understand and respond to individual circumstances. They adapt sessions and routines where appropriate to meet children's and families' needs, helping to promote regular attendance and ensure children benefit from their time at the nursery.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Leaders have suitable policies and procedures in place to help prioritise children's health and wellbeing, but at times, these are not implemented well enough. For instance, staff do not prioritise providing opportunities for babies to develop their physical skills. This reduces babies' exposure to physical activity and the development of their physical health. Furthermore, staff use baby wipes to clean younger children's hands before meals rather than supporting them to wash their hands in the bathroom. As a result, staff do not make the most of opportunities to promote children's independence and understanding of good hygiene practices. Consequently, daily routines do not consistently support children's learning, development and overall wellbeing.

Staff know children well and respond to their individual needs. They build positive relationships with children and their families, helping children to feel safe, secure and valued. They are aware of children who face barriers to learning or wellbeing and adapt support to encourage inclusion and participation in activities and routines.

Children develop secure attachments with familiar adults and confidently seek comfort, reassurance and guidance when needed. For example, babies who have recently started at the nursery enjoy cuddles from familiar staff when they need reassurance. They giggle when staff initiate 'peekaboo' games with them. Staff help children to develop confidence, self-esteem and a sense of belonging within the setting. Staff follow safer sleep and safer eating guidance to support children's health, safety and welfare. In addition to this, the nursery works with a nutritionist to provide healthy, balanced meals and snacks that support children's wellbeing and encourage positive eating habits.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have an accurate understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. They recognise weaknesses in the implementation of the curriculum and the quality of interactions, and understand where practice requires improvement. Leaders have taken action to address these areas, including monitoring practice, providing support for staff and reviewing curriculum delivery. However, these actions have not yet had the desired impact. As a result, inconsistencies in practice remain, and children do not always benefit from quality learning experiences.

Leaders have prioritised improving behaviour, particularly with older children. They provide staff with training, coaching and guidance to strengthen behaviour management strategies and they have sought support from external professionals. This has helped staff to support children more effectively and encourage positive interactions with their peers.

Staff report that they feel well supported by leaders and speak positively about working at the nursery. They describe the nursery as a welcoming place to work and say that leaders are approachable and available to offer guidance when needed. Senior leaders provide consistent support to all the staff team, are visible within the nursery environment and organise team building experiences for staff to support wellbeing and help ensure staff feel valued.

Leaders identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) promptly, and work effectively with parents and external professionals to access appropriate support. This helps ensure that children receive timely interventions and that individual needs are understood and met. Parents speak positively about the setting and value the support they receive from staff and leaders. Staff maintain regular communication with families and share information about children's experiences. For example, families are invited into the setting for stay and play sessions and end of term celebrations.