Green Twigs Nursery, Montessori & Forest School Ltd

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders have recently applied for additional funding to support disadvantaged children. Leaders have begun to seek help from some external agencies to help them implement support for children who face barriers to learning or who staff are monitoring. However, action is not always timely, and strategies for sourcing and using funding to support children's individual needs are sometimes unclear. Leaders provide staff with some training to support their practice and help them identify and meet children's needs. They recognise the need to strengthen the programme for professional development to ensure that timely support for children is secured and implemented well.

Staff work with families to support vulnerable children. Caring staff promote children's emotional security, which helps children to feel safe, supported and able to make progress from their starting points. Staff nurture an inclusive culture, where every child is welcomed and valued. Staff use baseline assessments, observations and regular discussions with parents and carers to monitor children's developmental progress and reduce some barriers to their learning. Staff support specific needs through individual plans that are reviewed appropriately and shared with parents. Children learning English as an additional language are supported to communicate confidently. They are matched with key staff who speak their home language to support their understanding of routines and activities.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders typically plan an ambitious curriculum covering all areas of learning. Children's wellbeing, physical development and emotional skills are prioritised throughout the day. Staff generally adapt activities to meet children's individual needs. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported in their home language to enable them to engage well. Children with developing speech and language needs generally are supported appropriately, although interventions could be strengthened further with professional advice.

Staff use assessment to understand what all children can do, what they know and what they need to learn next. Staff use their knowledge of child development to observe children and join their play. Staff build on children's prior learning using their interests. Children develop a secure understanding of mathematical concepts and language when building with wooden blocks. Staff help children to count blocks and compare sizes of towers. Staff model language in play and ask questions to support children's thinking and develop vocabulary. Staff use opportunities, such as lunchtime, to encourage children to be sociable by talking about their news from home. This helps children develop their confidence as they take part in conversations.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children enjoy exploring and are motivated to try new things. They learn about living creatures in the forest by exploring pond life, use charts to reference the names of pond snails they have found and describe what they see and feel using their senses. They handle scissors to cut tape to frame their pictures and create structures with natural materials, demonstrating growing coordination, control and creative thinking. Children listen during storytelling and respond to questions, learning new words and practising saying them. They develop friendships, share and manage personal care routines independently.

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, engage appropriately in activities and make steady progress from their starting points. They are prepared for their move on to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders create a positive environment where children can be themselves and show respect and empathy for others and all living creatures. Staff gently explain desired behaviour using appropriate reasons to help children at all stages understand. They respond sensitively to children's needs and offer comfort and reassurance, helping children to understand and manage their emotions. Children are confident, motivated and curious learners. They engage well, concentrate for sustained periods and enjoy all activities. Children show resilience and perseverance as they explore in the forest area. They remove their rain suits independently and demonstrate an understanding of routines.

Children learn to share. During activities, they negotiate turn taking and share resources well. They demonstrate self-control and awareness as they wait patiently for their turn on the rope swing and can resolve minor disagreements quickly, often without support. They listen carefully and follow instructions well, such as to help at tidy-up time. Leaders work with families to promote prompt attendance. They adapt to families' needs, helping children participate and benefit from their time at the setting.

On occasion, when children are transitioning from outside to join group time, behaviour is not as well supported as at other times of the day. For instance, while staff are supporting some children to dress, those who are waiting become restless and noisy, which impacts their focus and engagement when singing number songs.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children's wellbeing is at the heart of the setting's ethos. Staff form nurturing relationships with children, so they settle quickly, explore and learn confidently in a safe and stimulating environment. Staff support children to manage their emotions. Children sit at the 'peace-table' to manage feelings with reflective stories and sensory toys. Children make soup for a local homeless shelter, which helps them understand the needs of others, develop empathy and prepare them for later participation in community life.

Children enjoy running, riding tricycles and climbing outside. In the forest garden, staff support children to understand how to stay safe through appropriate activities, such as hammering wooden pallets with nails. They also help children understand potential risk as they learn to look around them when on the rope swing. As a result, children develop awareness of their surroundings and gain confidence in managing risks independently.

Children serve themselves fruit at snack time, wash their hands and put on rain suits. Following routines helps them develop self-care skills and independence. Staff manage dietary needs and feeding routines in collaboration with parents and carers. Leaders share information about healthy food choices with families to ensure that all children eat a healthy packed lunch each day.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision for the setting and are passionate about the Montessori and forest school ethos. They have developed a solid community with parents and carers, who speak positively about the care their children receive. Staff build trusting partnerships with parents by providing communication through daily interactions, newsletters and online applications. Parents contribute to nursery life, join forest-school sessions and take turns to read their favourite stories to children.

Leaders generally support staff effectively and provide regular supervision sessions, training and ongoing coaching to develop practice. They follow safer recruitment practices and carry out thorough inductions for new staff. There are opportunities for staff to take on leadership responsibilities, gain qualifications and develop within their roles. This means that staff feel valued and remain committed and motivated. Leaders listen carefully to staff's views and adapt workloads to support their wellbeing.

Leaders champion children's wellbeing and work closely and sensitively with parents around children's needs and family circumstances. Leaders recognise that some funding applications and support from wider agencies have not been sourced in a timely manner to maximise children's progress from their starting points. They have begun to address this, along with the programme for professional development, to ensure that all children, including those who require additional support, can make the best possible progress.