Greenside Community Nursery

Inclusion: Needs attention

Leaders and staff communicate closely with parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This ensures staff have ongoing knowledge of children's changing experiences, and are able to adapt the support they provide. Relationships with other professionals support children's needs well. For example, staff complete additional medical training to better support the physical needs of children in the nursery. Leaders ensure that any additional funding is allocated appropriately and supports the specific needs of the intended children. For example, additional equipment is available to allow children continuous access to outdoor play opportunities.

Leaders do not always take decisive steps to reduce the barriers to learning of some children with SEND. Some teaching is not appropriate to children's learning needs. Furthermore, leaders do not consistently support staff to implement the considered strategies that on-site specialists introduce to promote children's development. Although children have close bonds with knowledgeable key persons, at times the deployment of these staff is not effective. This means that some children do not always benefit from precise teaching and supportive interactions that allow them to fully engage with their peers during sessions.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

There is a strong curriculum in place to support the youngest children develop a firm foundation for their future learning. Babies demonstrate close attachments to staff, who support them in developing language skills and confidence through songs and interactive story sessions. This love of books extends to older children, who become absorbed in age-appropriate learning centred around their favourite story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears'. Staff encourage children to work as a team to build a house for the bears. Together they discuss mathematical concepts, such as size and shape, and explore the emotions the bears may feel finding a stranger in their house.

Leaders lack oversight of how the curriculum is implemented across the setting. This means the quality of teaching for children, specifically those with special educational needs and/or disabilities is variable. Inconsistent support from key persons means that some older children are unable to develop the social skills they will require for their next stage of learning. Although staff and leaders monitor children's progress closely, the next steps that they plan do not always focus on what children need to learn. For example, some assessments prioritise young children's fine motor skills over their speech and language development.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children are generally confident communicators, who engage well with adults to express their needs and communicate their ideas. They form cooperative and harmonious relationships with their peers and are respectful of boundaries in play. Staff provide opportunities for children to practise these skills during group discussions and role-play activities. However, not all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are sufficiently prepared for their next stage of learning. The support children receive from the curriculum does not always focus on their specific needs, including the need to prioritise their language development. Furthermore, older children who are not yet able to navigate social situations independently, do not receive consistent support from their key person to develop these skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Leaders and staff use age-appropriate strategies to help create a generally harmonious environment. Young children are learning to take turns and share in a kitchen role-play activity with staff on hand to role model these expected behaviours. Older children explore boundaries during daily group discussions that they refer to during play. For example, children remind one another that only 3 friends can use the soft-play area at any one time.

Leaders do not consistently consider the specific needs of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities when considering the effective deployment of staff across the setting. Some children do not receive the consistent support they require from their skilled and knowledgeable key person. For example, key persons are not always available to help navigate conflict in play and establish appropriate behaviour expectations. This limits children's development and, at times, their actions can impact the learning of others.

Strong partnerships mean that parents understand and follow the setting's expectations around punctuality and attendance. Leaders work with families to ensure children receive their full entitlement and understand the positive impact this will have on children's future learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

The care routines that leaders and staff organise across the nursery promote children's safety and wellbeing. Children enjoy safe and sociable mealtimes that consider their individual dietary requirements. Staff encourage them to explore the healthy choices of fruits and vegetables they eat and why drinking water is good for their bodies and teeth. Staff monitor sleeping children closely and mirror their experiences from home where appropriate. This helps to promote children's emotional wellbeing during these key routines.

Older children are learning to recognise their emotions with staff incorporating discussions around feelings into activities. Babies, alongside their attentive staff, explore facial features and mimic happy and sad faces. Older children identify expressions in stories and drawings. Staff encourage them to explore why the characters may be feeling these emotions. However, leaders do not ensure that all children with special educational needs and /or disabilities have consistent support from staff who they respond well to and have a deep understanding of their needs. In some instances, children are supported by several different members of staff, who use varied strategies to support their emotions and behaviour. On occasion, this results in actions that can have a negative impact on their peers.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders promote positive partnerships with parents across the whole setting. Parents comment on the support leaders and staff provide for children right from the start of their journey. They also appreciate the ongoing advice around the specific needs of their children, such as managing their behaviour.

Leaders lack oversight of the provision. They do not reflect sufficiently on the setting to identify areas where improvements are needed. This includes their evaluation of the curriculum and the implementation of the key-person system. As a result, the quality of teaching and support varies for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This hinders the progress some of these children make in their learning and development.

Although leaders conduct regular appraisals with staff to identify areas to improve practice and support staff wellbeing, they do not act swiftly on their findings. Recent strategies that leaders have introduced, such as the introduction of mentoring sessions, are not yet having an impact on practice. This means that the quality of teaching varies across areas of the nursery.