First Steps Childcare @ Chichester College

Inclusion: Expected standard

The environment is inclusive and this ensures that all children feel safe, happy and valued. Typically, all children have their unique needs met promptly and sensitively. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs quickly identified. This enables a programme of support to begin in preparation for using external professional services when needed. Staff work very closely with parents to gather detailed information about children's development and current interests. Parents are regularly invited to contribute to their child's learning in the nursery and also from the home environment.

Leaders use additional funding to purchase resources and provide an enhanced ratio so that children can benefit from one-to-one support or small group interventions. This helps children to make sustained progress from their starting points. Staff regularly observe and assess children's existing knowledge and identify what they need to be learning next. This generally ensures that children's next steps are purposeful. Staff receive training so that they can effectively support children who face barriers to their learning. This enables them to help children to regulate their feelings and behaviours and teach children to understand how to communicate, such as using visual picture cues.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have a particular focus on children's emotional development. They have a full understanding that children and babies need emotional support in their early years to enable them to develop a sense of belonging and to be ready to learn. Staff use assessment well to identify what it is they want children to learn next. Typically, this helps children to develop well in their learning, including children who face barriers to their learning.

Generally, staff are skilled at extending children's learning through play. They expose children to different vocabulary and help build on their literacy and mathematical skills. For example, children learn about size, volume and capacity as they make dough for their friends. Staff weave in opportunities for babies to hear numbers when singing songs.

Children have continuous access to outside play where they can run around in the fresh air and develop their physical skills. They have access to experiences that they may not have previously benefited from. This helps to close the gaps in children's learning. However, staff teaching can, at times, be variable and they do not consistently identify how to extend children's learning in order that children remain motivated. This can occasionally mean that some children become disinterested and wander off.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children are confident communicators. They have access to a rich vocabulary through books, discussions and singing. Children develop their physical skills and have plenty of opportunities to practise their large and small muscles. Babies delight as they cruise around the room, building up the muscles that are later needed for walking. Older children use pens to make lists and scissors to cut paper. All children, including those who face barriers to learning, achieve well from their starting points. They make progress across all areas of development, giving them the knowledge they need to be prepared for the next stage in their education. Children consistently receive appropriate support to help them reach age-related developmental goals. They develop a wide range of skills and are developing the confidence to explore and lead their own play.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

In this nursery, staff build warm and trusting relationships with all children. Typically, key persons know their children well. This enables them to ensure that the environment supports children's wellbeing and development. Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's behaviour. Staff are good role models, providing respect and a high level of nurturing to every child. There is an inclusive approach to children's behaviour. This ensures that all children's needs are accommodated and considered, including for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Routines are clear which helps children to understand what is expected of them from an early age. Children behave very well. They are kind and thoughtful to each other, to the staff and to the environment. Staff praise children's positive behaviour, which helps children to develop high self-esteem and feel proud.

The nursery's approach to attendance is clear. Leaders demonstrate that they understand their responsibilities. They can quickly identify patterns of poor attendance and engage promptly with parents and outside agencies to ensure that children attend regularly. Parents feedback that they have positive relationships with the leaders and staff and that they feel able to raise any concerns that they may have.

Children show positive attitudes to their learning. They are excited and eager to engage in learning opportunities with other children and staff.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff develop purposeful bonds with children. They take a genuine interest in their conversations. Children demonstrate a sense of belonging as they excitedly tell staff about their experiences outside of the nursery. Staff ensure that when children become upset or overwhelmed, they are offered cuddles and comforters. Children regularly approach staff to invite them to play or join in discussions. They demonstrate a sense of belonging and feel safe and secure.

Children are strictly supervised when eating or sleeping. Staff have a full awareness on how to safely accommodate children's dietary and medical needs. This helps children to be safe during snack and mealtimes. Leaders and staff provide children with healthy snacks and nutritious meals and remind children of the importance of washing their hands before mealtimes.

All children are developing independence when feeding themselves. Babies are encouraged to use spoons. Older children use knives and forks, fetch their own water from the tap and pour their own drinks. However, there are times when some children have to ask staff when they would like a drink outside of snack and mealtimes. They are not always able to access a drink for themselves. This means that the youngest of children and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities may not always get a drink when needed.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a good oversight of this nursery, including its strengths and areas for further development. They are knowledgeable and ambitious for all children, particularly for those children who face barriers to their learning. Leaders have created a culture that encourages staff to identify their own training needs and be proactive in their own professional development. Staff feedback that leaders are extremely supportive in helping them to progress and learn in their roles. Leaders provide regular supervision meetings during which staff can discuss their key children, focus on safeguarding and explore their own training needs.

Leaders engage with parents and external agencies in ways which support children's care and wellbeing. They emphasise the importance of collaborative working when children require outside support or are transitioning to other settings, such as school. They work hard to ensure that appropriate and important information is passed on promptly. This helps to provide children with a positive start in their new setting or school. Parents mention that they feel confident that their children are safe and well-cared for, and they know who to go to if they would like to raise a concern.

Leaders are aware that there are inconsistencies in staff teaching and have plans to provide further coaching to improve teaching in the future.