Four Brooks Day Nursery - Tommies Childcare

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have created a highly inclusive culture. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with barriers to learning are fully included to thrive. Leaders and practitioners are proactive in identifying any emerging developmental concerns. Children's needs are highly prioritised. Their starting points are well assessed by leaders and practitioners to skilfully highlight developmental concerns, needs and next steps. Leaders and the key person implement precise age-appropriate targets and strategies to meet children's individual developmental needs. They review these regularly for all children, including the most disadvantaged. Children are fully supported to make rapid and sustained progress from their starting points.

Parents are fully involved in their children's learning journey. Leaders and practitioners work collaboratively in partnership with parents to explore creative solutions to aid children's development. As a result, leaders ensure they embed consistent support strategies and targets for use at home. Leaders work with a wide range of external outside agencies and professionals to ensure children receive timely intervention. These collaborations are significant to support children moving on to their next stage of learning effectively. Despite the areas for development in curriculum and teaching, this does not impact the inclusive approach leaders have in supporting those with barriers to learning. Furthermore, all children confidently transition to their next stage of education to continue their progress and flourish.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have implemented their curriculum to challenge children to enhance their learning effectively. They support practitioners to plan and use their in the moment curriculum to ensure learning experiences are well organised, age appropriate and build on what children know and can do. Leaders and practitioners work effectively together to adapt teaching and learning for children who experience barriers to learning. Children's needs are fully included and assessed by practitioners. They support them to make positive choices about their play and provide sensitive encouragement for those with barriers to learning to engage. This helps those with barriers to build confidence and take part in a wide range of learning experiences on offer.

Leaders understand what they want children to learn and review planning to highlight any areas that need enhancing. Practitioners support children to develop early maths skills through everyday activities, for example, they teach children to sort out cutlery into various categories after lunch. Children sing a range of number songs throughout the day. Practitioners make purposeful decisions to introduce science experiments for children. They are keen to take part using the everyday resources to explore what may happen during their learning. Practitioners chat with children, supporting them to draw their predictions.

Children show high levels of interest. They are eager to take part in activities such as mixing liquids and using pipettes to make bubbles. Children concentrate well and talk excitedly about what they can see happening. Leaders identify that there is still room for minor tweaks to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all the children across all opportunities. For example, on occasion, practitioners are not always fully successful in ensuring all children are fully involved in their learning. Leaders have identified clear plans to strengthen this area through targeted coaching and training, to ensure practice becomes consistently strong.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make progress at their own pace. They are fully supported and guided with their individual needs and development to make rapid and sustained progress from their unique starting points. Children's activities are skilfully planned and aim to close any gaps in learning quickly. Children are regularly assessed by leaders and practitioners. Furthermore, the use of ongoing monitoring and assessments ensures leaders and practitioners have an in-depth understanding of what children should know and can do.

Children benefit from a consistent approach to support their learning and development. This is demonstrated through positive collaborations with parents to help children achieve. Consequently, next steps are planned to have full impact. Children with any barriers to learning make high levels of progress. For example, they are supported with communication and language strategies. Furthermore, children become confident communicators. They use an extensive, rich vocabulary to express their needs and wishes with clarity. This enables children to fully access their learning experiences and engage as active learners alongside their peers.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and practitioners have implemented well-established routines to help children know what to expect next. These routines support children to feel secure, particularly those with barriers to learning. This enables children to become deeply engaged in their learning. Practitioners are highly positive role models. They demonstrate and model behaviour purposefully, teaching children kindness and respect. Consequently, children's behaviour across the setting is highly positive. Children show care and attention toward their peers and practitioners. They demonstrate a positive understanding of the behavioural expectations. Leaders and practitioners focus on the importance of children's attendance for learning and development. They work closely with parents to understand that consistent attendance is vital for children to have the best possible outcomes. Leaders use online communication for parents to notify the setting promptly and work in partnership to remove any barriers that may prevent children from learning.

Children with barriers to learning are supported to self-regulate well. Practitioners use strategies to negotiate and ease regulation with genuine care. For example, practitioners offer children sensory resources, nurturing cuddles and positive reassurance to support their regulation. Leaders and practitioners skilfully reinforce positive hygiene routines. Children are provided with well-balanced and nutritious meals and snacks. Older children develop independence in serving their own meals, and younger children are supported to feed themselves fruit snacks. These skills positively prepare children well for school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders carefully consider the wellbeing of all children as a priority of everything they do, particularly focusing on the most vulnerable children. They have an awareness of their individual needs and circumstances and ensure that no child is disadvantaged. Leaders and practitioners have established highly effective systems to identify and ensure that any child with emerging needs is swiftly supported. This ensures children who have barriers to learning receive timely support.

Children develop well in an exceptionally nurturing and inclusive environment where every child is valued. The care children receive is evident in all aspects of the setting's ethos and underpins the children's ability to thrive. Practitioners form highly secure attachments with children and their families from the outset. They invest significant time in getting to know each child and family uniquely. This means transitions into the setting are built with ease.

Parents are overwhelmingly complimentary and report that staff have an in-depth understanding of their children's individual needs, personality and preferences. They allow parents to feel completely confident that their child is well known, understood and cared for deeply. Furthermore, children demonstrate a sense of belonging and emotional security from the moment they enter the setting and separate confidently from parents with ease. The well-established and adaptive routines provide consistency to enable children to flourish.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leadership and governance are highly effective and demonstrate a clear vision to providing high-quality care for all children and those who face barriers to learning. As a result, strong leadership is a deeply embedded culture with high aspirations of inclusivity for all children.

Leaders understand their responsibilities to ensure practitioners' suitability is maintained. They ensure the wellbeing of practitioners is prioritised and supported. Leaders provide an open-door policy and regular check-ins and use supervisions to ensure that practitioners are suitable and well supported with their professional development. Consequently, this helps practitioners to understand their duties toward professional conduct.

Leaders have a clear understanding of their areas of strength and continuously self-evaluate the setting for improvement and development. They are highly reflective and proactively seek best practice to refine and enhance their provision. For example, leaders understand their responsibilities to improve curriculum and teaching and provide practitioners with targeted coaching and mentoring training. They have plans in place to enhance and develop a high level of skilled practitioners to deepen their knowledge and understanding to enhance the curriculum.

Leaders have successfully established strong and collaborative partnerships with parents and a wide range of external agencies. They have built positive partnerships with parents, who report that leaders and practitioners highly value all children's care and education. These partnerships ensure children make sustained progress in their learning and wellbeing.