Green Road Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders generally identify children's emerging needs through observations of their communication, social interaction, physical development, concentration and responses to sensory experiences. The special educational needs coordinators have relevant training and work with families and professionals to reduce barriers to children's learning before concerns escalate.

Staff make appropriate adaptations for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those facing other barriers. For example, they use visual timetables, picture cards, gestures, puppets, short instructions and repeated language. Familiar words from children's home languages help children to understand routines and communicate their needs while they develop English.

Leaders work sensitively with families when children's attendance, sleep, eating or behaviour may affect their learning and wellbeing. They agree manageable targets, monitor children's progress and seek advice from health or local authority professionals when needed.

Leaders work closely with other nurseries, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and receiving schools to coordinate consistent support for children. These consistent strategies help children to progress from using no spoken language to communicating with words and understanding simple instructions. Staff review children's individual plans regularly and share these at transition times. Additional funding is used for targeted support and resources, including books and games that help children to recognise and discuss their emotions.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders generally design a broad curriculum that reflects children's starting points, interests and next steps across all areas of learning. They prioritise communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development appropriately for the current cohort of children.

Staff typically use narration, repetition, recall and questions to extend children's vocabulary and thinking. An autumn investigation builds on children's interest in bug hunting. Children examine leaves, pine cones and model minibeasts using magnifying glasses and pincers. Staff introduce words, such as 'spiky', 'smooth', 'thick' and 'thin', and encourage children to compare colours, textures, shapes and patterns. This supports children's communication, understanding of the world, mathematics and fine motor development.

Staff connect experiences across the curriculum. Children count leaves, sort natural objects and represent what they know through talk, imaginative play and mark-making. They remain focused, test ideas and revisit previous learning, to help them remember what they know. Baseline assessments, observations, photos and learning journals help staff to understand what children know and can do. Staff complete progress checks for children when they are aged between 2 and 3 years and use assessment to plan suitable next steps. Termly reports, daily discussions and information from home help staff adapt teaching to children's individual stages of development.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children generally make suitable progress from their different starting points across the areas of learning. Children who initially communicate using short phrases develop wider vocabularies, hold conversations and independently recall and retell familiar stories. Those children learning English use familiar words in their home languages, visual prompts and repeated English to communicate their needs and contribute ideas.

Children develop their early mathematical knowledge through play and everyday routines. They count objects accurately, recognise numerals and identify common shapes. Children begin to compare quantities and use mathematical language while completing construction activities, singing number songs and organising resources. Children develop positive social and emotional skills. Those who initially need considerable reassurance form friendships, initiate play, share resources and explain when another child's actions have affected their feelings. They increasingly follow routines and make independent choices.

Children's physical confidence also develops. Children who were previously less steady learn to navigate obstacles, use balance bicycles, climb and run with greater control. Children's next steps are linked to their interests, such as using football, sand and mud to encourage purposeful mark-making. They acquire the communication, independence, physical and social skills needed for their next stage of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders generally establish clear routines and expectations that children understand. During group discussions, staff revisit listening carefully, using kind words, sitting appropriately and taking turns. They ask children how sharing makes others feel, helping them to consider the impact of their actions and develop emotional vocabulary.

Relationships are warm and respectful. Staff respond calmly when children need help to regulate their behaviour. They model suitable language, use sand timers to support turn-taking and gently remind children to use their 'inside voices'. Staff adapt expectations to children's ages, communication skills and individual circumstances.

Children typically demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They remain involved in stories and songs, repeat actions and persevere when tasks are difficult. Children negotiate roles, follow simple rules, wait for one another and help less-confident children to participate. This strengthens children's friendships, cooperation and belonging.

Leaders monitor attendance daily. When children do not arrive as expected, staff contact parents and carers and use emergency contacts when necessary. They record reasons for absence and review patterns. Leaders work constructively with families to improve punctuality and attendance and understand when unexplained absence may require further safeguarding action.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders generally ensure that care is responsive to children's individual needs. Flexible settling-in arrangements begin with shorter sessions and increase gradually. Staff encourage parents and carers to share information about children's routines, comfort objects and care needs. Key persons observe children's responses carefully and do not rush separation. This helps children to form secure attachments and become confident in the setting.

Staff supervise children closely at snack time. They check food, ensure children are seated appropriately and ask parents to provide manageable pieces to reduce choking risks. Drinking water is available, and children peel fruit and manage containers with increasing independence. Children also help grow produce in a small vegetable patch. Established hygiene routines are generally followed, and staff guide children to wash their hands before eating. However, staff do not consistently use daily routines, imaginative play and stories to explain how personal hygiene and self-care help to limit the spread of germs. Consequently, children do not always understand why these practices are important or manage them independently.

Typically, staff encourage children to bring nutritious food and provide role-play experiences that develop children's understanding of their bodies and self-care. For example, children explore illness through a pretend doctor's surgery and participate in indoor and outdoor physical activities. However, staff do not routinely explain how food and exercise support the body. They do not use opportunities during snack time and health-related play fully. Consequently, children's understanding of nutrition, exercise and maintaining positive health is not consistently embedded.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders generally understand the setting's priorities and maintain close oversight of this small provision. Leaders work alongside staff, while the nominated individual contributes to decision-making and safeguarding oversight. Leaders communicate regularly about children's learning, care, attendance and wellbeing.

Self-evaluation leads to relevant improvements. Leaders have expanded role-play resources in response to children's interests in doctors and hairdressing, added magnetic numbers for children interested in mathematics and purchased books representing different cultures and hair types. They have also made attendance arrangements more flexible for families so children can attend several sessions.

Staff complete mandatory training alongside professional development in supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, behaviour, emotional development, communication and language, and learning through play. This helps them to use visual prompts, gestures, repetition and calm language effectively. Consequently, children communicate their needs more confidently, broaden their vocabulary, manage their emotions and behaviour, and participate more successfully in play. Termly supervision meetings are complemented by daily observations, learning walks and peer feedback. Leaders monitor staff's professional development and identify appropriate priorities for improving practice. They review staff workload as the number of children attending increases and intend to recruit additional staff when needed. Leaders also plan to broaden children's experiences by introducing more outings as numbers grow and staffing arrangements allow these to be managed safely.

Staff develop positive partnerships with parents and carers through daily conversations, photos and messages about their children's experiences. Parents receive termly reports and meet with staff to discuss their children's progress and next steps. Staff also share practical home-learning ideas, such as reading together, supporting language development and developing children's behaviour and eating. Links with local services, other early years providers and schools help staff to coordinate support and promote smooth transitions.