First Steps Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate strengths in ensuring that gaps in children's learning are quickly identified, and they use a variety of strategies to support children. They produce individual learning plans for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and set targets that are reviewed regularly and shared with parents. They offer opportunities for children to re-visit tasks they have found difficult. Staff use choice boards to help children move from one activity to another. Children with medical needs are well supported by staff. They monitor their health closely and act swiftly if any issues arise.

Leaders have recognised that sometimes children need quiet spaces to help maintain their wellbeing. They have created an intervention room with calming colours, soft lighting and cushions. They use the space to support children on a one-to-one basis for targeted interventions or to help children regulate in the soothing environment.

Leaders have built positive relationships with external professionals and contact them often to discuss and review the needs of children with SEND. They use funding for disadvantaged children to effectively support language development. Staff have received training in supporting children with autism, and this has helped to develop the way they interact with these children.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have improved the curriculum for children aged under 3 years. They now consider children's stages of development and plan the skills they want babies, toddlers and older children to learn. Although the curriculum has been improved, staff do not consistently focus clearly enough on developing and extending vocabulary. Staff do not precisely focus on the words they want to promote. This slows down the rate of progress children can make in communication and impacts all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Staff use words such as 'full', 'empty', 'big' and 'little'. They develop children's understanding of size as they create longer and shorter pieces of dough. This supports mathematical learning.

Staff provide opportunities for children to use tools and equipment, such as trowels and pipettes. Staff model how to use equipment correctly. They roll a rolling pin and demonstrate how to draw around an object.

Staff help children to link ideas. During a planting activity, staff encourage children to recall how they looked after seeds previously. Staff develop children's listening skills as they take part in group activities, read stories and follow instructions. They use assessment appropriately to check children's learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) share their favourite stories with staff and laugh as they listen to the sounds the book makes. They sustain their attention for extended periods.

Staff engage children in conversation about the planting process. However, opportunities to extend and deepen children's scientific and descriptive vocabulary are not consistently maximised. As a result, children are not always supported to build a broader and more precise range of language or to deepen their understanding of the world. This limits the extent to which children develop rich vocabulary and secure knowledge over time, particularly in communication and language and understanding the world.

Children show great dexterity in their fingers to achieve their goals. They confidently create pictures and make marks. They use measuring tapes, and babies use their hands and feet to make marks in sand and paint.

Children with SEND explore their sensory interests for extended periods and actively take part in group singing sessions alongside their peers. Children are generally well prepared for the next steps in their learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff have high expectations of behaviour. They address minor problematic incidents of sharing quickly so that generally children play together harmoniously. They explain the rules to children and remind them why it is better not to throw sand. Leaders have improved the key-person system, and this supports babies to confidently and independently explore the stimulating environment.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and vulnerable children generally follow the routines well and sit patiently as they wait for lunch or group sessions. However, routines take a long time and children become distracted as they wait for the next thing to happen. This impacts on time for learning and limits children's attention span.

Staff show respect for babies and communicate with them before wiping their nose or managing their personal hygiene. Older children say 'please' and 'thank you'. Staff encourage children to show them they are ready for listening. They develop listening skills by playing simple games and encouraging children to copy actions or find body parts. Children respond well to this approach.

Leaders monitor and track attendance carefully to check for any repeated patterns of absence. Children generally attend very well and rarely take time off. Leaders communicate clearly with parents to promote good attendance.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Since the last inspection, leaders have improved care procedures for babies and established better systems to meet their needs. Leaders ensure babies' medical, dietary and care needs are well understood by the staff team. Babies are generally very happy throughout the day. They sleep in cots and are well monitored as they sleep. As they wake, staff provide comfort and affection so that babies feel safe.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well by familiar adults. They are happy and engaged. Staff help children with SEND to sustain play for a few minutes at a time. Children with SEND frequently return to their familiar adult to receive physical and emotional comfort.

Older children attempt to serve themselves food and pour their own drinks. However, they have to wait for long periods to serve themselves from one large pot that is passed around the tables. Lunchtime routines are not as well thought through or efficient as they could be. Although children generally wait patiently, this takes a long time and impacts the time available for learning and communicating.

Staff support babies to feed safely. Children eat a range of healthy foods.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have worked hard to make improvements since the previous inspection. They have secure systems in place to promote the wellbeing and happiness of babies. Leaders have enhanced the curriculum so that activities provided for babies are better suited to their needs. However, leaders have not yet fully embedded a consistent approach to developing children's communication and language, particularly in extending vocabulary across the curriculum.

Leaders have implemented a digital training package for staff to access, and staff say this has been very helpful. Leaders take appropriate steps to manage workload and support staff wellbeing. Staff say leaders treat them very well and care about them. For example, leaders provide staff with rewards and treats on birthdays and other occasions. Staff say they can approach leaders to make requests or ask for help.

Leaders have ensured they work with parents to promote potty training and toileting. Leaders have developed a few different schemes to support parental involvement in children's learning. They have set up a book-loaning scheme for families to share books at home. They have also created sensory bags for parents to use at home to promote sensory learning.