Fun To Learn Nursery & Pre-School

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders support staff to implement effective strategies to meet the needs of all children. They ensure that staff are trained to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff are highly knowledgeable and use their knowledge and skills well to identify and address gaps in children's learning. Staff break down instructions into smaller steps to support children who speak English as an additional language. They use visual aids to promote children's understanding of expected behaviours. Staff communicate effectively with each other across the setting, sharing information on children's targets and next steps. This enables all staff to support all children across the setting.

Leaders use additional funding effectively to enhance staffing arrangements and provide support for individual children to access all areas of the curriculum. They have created an additional space to provide children with a quieter area when they feel overwhelmed.

Leaders and staff work closely with other professionals to create common plans for individual children's progress. They share the plans with parents to enable them to continue children's learning at home. Parents comment that staff work closely with them to support their children. This includes sharing knowledge and signposting them to outside agencies as needed.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a good understanding of the setting's curriculum and have clear plans in place for continuing to develop this even further. The setting is situated in an area where children speak English as an additional language. Therefore, leaders have designed the curriculum with a focus on communication and language, and all staff are aware. Staff sequence children's learning well, working with the local school to ensure that children are ready for the next stage of learning. All children, regardless of their starting points, make good progress in their learning and development.

Staff deploy themselves effectively around the setting. This allows them to support children across all areas of the setting, both inside and out. Staff talk confidently about the room and garden set-up. Time is taken to ensure that activities are set up purposefully to meet children's next steps, and staff ensure that children understand the learning taking place. For example, children count the number of bottles of water needed to fill tubs in the garden, building on their mathematical knowledge. However, this is not consistent. Staff find it challenging to manage this when all the children are in one room and the garden is closed. Noise levels impact on staff interactions; however, this is something leaders have recognised and are working with staff on.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in their learning and development. Staff have clear strategies in place for communicating children's next steps, which enables them to support all children. Children's learning is consolidated by repeating activities, which builds children's confidence in the skills they have learned.

Children make expected progress in their physical development, in relation to their starting points. The large garden area provides children with opportunities to run, jump, climb and navigate the whole space. They become increasingly more aware of their surroundings, developing their spatial awareness. Children know where it is safe to run and where they are able to play on the bikes. Opportunities to do activities such as yoga support those who have different physical interests. Children enjoy playing with and alongside other children. They build on their social skills as staff encourage them to make friends and take turns playing games.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Since the last inspection, leaders have adapted their session time to match local schools. This has supported the needs of the local community and has increased attendance. Leaders reflect that they need to continue communicating with families to help ensure that any changing needs are met. Leaders and staff respond promptly when children do not arrive for their session at nursery. They successfully implement their policies and procedures to follow up on any absences that have not been notified to them, which helps to promote children's regular attendance and punctuality.

Children's behaviour at the setting is exceptional. Children have a clear understanding of the expectations of their behaviour, and this is demonstrated throughout the setting and day. Any disputes are well handled by the staff and they are consistent in their approach. Children are respectful of the staff team and there are strong relationships between all children and staff. Children actively seek staff out to join in their games and are always keen to complete targeted teaching opportunities. Staff encourage children to play together, sharing toys and creating friendships. Staff plan activities to support those who find this more challenging, and staff talk of lovely friendships that have been built for some children.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Settling-in procedures are effective. Staff comment on how quickly children settle at the setting, attributing this to the home visits which take place. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported to join in with the setting's routines and strategies to support them are put in place as needed. Key-person relationships are well established. Children have good relationships with the whole staff team. Children are happy to approach staff when they need comfort.

At snack time, staff talk to children about healthy and unhealthy foods. Children develop their independence, for instance they choose what they like to eat and learn to prepare their snack by spreading butter on crackers. Staff are knowledgeable of children's food choices and allergies. They implement clear procedures to ensure children are provided with the right food. Healthy eating information is shared with parents to support with lunch boxes, and the setting is always reflecting on this. Leaders are aware of the importance of oral hygiene within the setting. The team has worked hard to embed toothbrushing practices for all children. They work closely with local dentists to ensure all children are registered with and attend dental appointments.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have worked hard since the last inspection to build on staff's safeguarding knowledge. They understand the importance of ensuring this knowledge remains at a high level. Leaders have strengthened staff's knowledge of reporting concerns and have worked closely with the local authority to ensure all staff are aware of local procedures.

Leaders have a good oversight of the setting. They can recognise priorities for improvements and reflect on other areas they may need to improve. Leaders proudly share the setting's strengths and talk of the effective work the setting does for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and the progress these children make. Retention of staff demonstrates how well supported staff feel at the setting. Staff talk of the close relationships they have with leaders and how they can have a voice within the setting. Regular supervision meetings give staff time to talk to leaders about their key children as well as their own wellbeing. All staff have access to a wide range of training opportunities, and staff enjoy sharing their learning with each other at staff meetings.