First Step Daycare & Nursery Ltd

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff swiftly identify the needs of all individual children, including children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff rigorously assess children's progress and ensure they meet the children's individual needs and plan accordingly. Staff have highly effective partnerships with other early years professionals. For example, they share beneficial and effective advice and strategies. This includes using real items to support visual time lines, showing children what is happening in the routine and what is happening next.

Staff monitor children's progress thoroughly. Staff have recently reflected on the organisation of the setting to ensure that they can meet all children's needs and help them get the most out of their learning opportunities. For instance, they have adapted the environment and included a sensory space to help engage children with SEND in incredibly engaging ways. This includes implementing spaces for them to access if they become overwhelmed.

Staff and leaders have established strong links and seek and share support with outside agencies and families. This includes sharing training ideas with parents, such as how to help manage children's behaviours and support their children's communication development.

Leaders use additional funding highly effectively. For example, they purchase resources to support children's individual progress and provide children with unique trips and experiences, such as language lessons.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff have a clear knowledge of what they would like children to learn and how they will support them to continue to develop new skills. Staff know what children have achieved since they started at the setting and what they are capable of accomplishing.

The setting is inviting and staff have thought out the organisation of the setting to ensure that all children enjoy their learning. Curriculum is well planned and effective. However, art and creative activities tend to be adult directed. All finished art looks similar and lacks uniqueness. Therefore, children do not have consistent opportunities to express their creativity more freely.

Staff support all children to develop their communication skills. For example, older children confidently talk about the process of cooking. Younger children listen to sounds and all children enjoy a vast range of singing and stories. Staff effectively support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This includes using visual prompts.

Children use mathematical language as they play. For instance younger children listen to number songs and older children talk about quantities.

All children have a wide range of opportunities to develop their physical skills. This is demonstrated when children learn to move their bodies in different ways, such as during yoga and dance activities.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make progress in relation to their starting points. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding. Children develop skills to support them to be ready for their next stage of learning. For instance, children are confident to communicate their needs and express their emotions.

Children are well supported to build on their own knowledge and skills. This includes staff attending specific training to support children with SEND.

Children develop their communication and vocabulary skills. For example, during a cooking activity older children talk about each ingredient and how they feel. Younger children listen to sounds and all children enjoy a vast range of singing and stories. Staff support children with SEND through effective ways. This includes using visual prompts, such as signing.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

All staff are positive role models and support children to learn the expectations of their behaviour. Children are kind, polite and behave well. All children fully understand and follow the rules with maturity. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in receipt of additional funding.

Children play well together and enjoy each other's company. There is a positive relationships between staff and children. For example, children happily seek out staff to share ideas, receive comfort and reassurance. Children of all ages appear to feel very happy, safe and secure in the company of staff.

Staff are skilful in swiftly identifying how to support children who have SEND. This is evident when staff redirect children to activities that they know will engage and focus them more productively, such as participating in more physical play opportunities.

Staff monitor children's attendance closely and ensure that they follow up any unexplained or unplanned absences. This helps staff to ensure they can identify and address any potential patterns of attendance that may require further support and advice.

Diversity and inclusion is prioritised by staff. They teach children about other religions, cultural traditions and festivals, such as Hindi beliefs and black history.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children of all ages are very happy, settled and confident, this includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have successfully created a safe and welcoming space to support children to come into the setting happily and engage in their learning opportunities swiftly.

The curriculum is effectively embedded. However, organisation of group activities and routines, such as meal times are not as effectively managed. This means there are breaks in learning whilst children wait for lengthy periods of time. However, children still remain well behaved and wait patiently during these times.

There is an effective key person system in place which supports all children to feel safe and secure. Staff plan and provide learning experiences that they know children will enjoy, such as baking and construction activities.

All children know the routines and are independent in managing their own needs. During meal times staff teach children about the importance and benefits of healthy eating. Children learn about the importance of following good oral health routines.

Staff know children's are routines well. This includes meeting the needs of babies, such as fully knowing and understanding their sleep patterns.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are evaluative and reflective on practice effectively. They identify areas they wish to continue to enhance and celebrate the effective practice they have implemented. This includes the high support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff well-being is supported effectively and their workload is manageable. Staff have time to complete training and have regular meetings and one to one discussions with leaders to ensure that they feel well supported, listened too and valued.

Leaders have a clear knowledge of safe recruitment and ensure all staff checks are carried out. Leaders monitor and support staff in helpful and constructive ways. This includes carrying out regular observations of the quality of their teaching and interactions with children. They highlight and celebrate strengths as well as making plans to develop areas they prioritise for improvement, such as accessing beneficial training.

All staff have positive partnerships with parents. They keep them fully informed and involved in their children's learning. This includes establishing starting points together and sharing their achievements and what their children will learn next. Staff support parents and help provide effective consistent links between the children's home and the setting. This includes sharing tips and advice on topics, such as toilet training.