Growing Places Havant

Inclusion: Strong standard

This provision is highly inclusive. There is a clear focus on the environment, and teaching is adapted to meet the needs of children, rather than expecting children to adapt to the provision. For example, children who need to use their physical skills as soon as they arrive, such as climbing or jumping, can go straight into a physical development space which provides that opportunity.

Practitioners work extensively with leaders and parents to ensure that any emerging needs children may face are quickly identified and assessed. Practitioners quickly put strategies in place to support children, such as choosing boards and visual timetables. They frequently assess, review and adapt these strategies to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the children. Practitioners and leaders work very closely with external agencies to ensure a joined-up and consistent approach to children's learning. For example, they work closely with specialists, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure that all children can fully access the provision and make steady progress in their development.

Leaders ensure that additional funding is used effectively to support the individual child based on their needs. This includes using funding to provide additional staff and specific resources, such as fidget and chew toys.

Practitioners and leaders ensure they are inclusive and welcoming to families, as well as the children. They skilfully and quickly recognise when further support may be needed. For example, they perceptively know when to welcome parents into a quiet space and provide a listening ear.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have created a curriculum that is ambitious and has high expectations for children. The foundations of the curriculum are based on teaching children to be kind, respectful and responsible. This includes a focus on learning about their community and how to take care of it. For example, when water accidently spills in pre-school, children explain that they need to wipe it up to ensure people do not slip.

Overall, practitioners understand the curriculum and the aims for learning. However, on occasion, this is not consistently applied in practitioners' teaching. For example, at times, practitioners do not extend and challenge children's learning further. Leaders have already identified this as an area for improvement, and are working closely with their team to expand and develop their knowledge of the curriculum, and how to apply this to teaching practice.

Practitioners develop children's communication and language skills well. For example, they model vocabulary and introduce new words, such as 'squelch' to children, as they play in the mud kitchen.

Overall, practitioners challenge and extend children's learning. Practitioners use assessment well to highlight where children are making above-expected progress, and adapt their provision to continue to challenge them further. For example, practitioners introduce more complex mathematical concepts. Practitioners also use assessment effectively to identify gaps in learning and to put appropriate strategies in place. For example, they provide opportunities for children to extensively use their physical skills, before taking part in an activity designed to develop their listening and attention skills.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children make typical progress in their learning and development, and children who face barriers to learning often make more progress than expected. Children are confident learners and are curious about the world around them. For example, they experiment with the different sounds they can make, such as banging on a frying pan.

Children develop the skills they need for their next stage of learning. For example, children going to school develop their independence skills so they are able to take care of their own self-care needs, such as blowing their nose.

Children build on what they know and can do as they progress through the nursery. For example, children progress from closed cups for drinking to being able to access water dispensers and pour their own drinks independently.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Practitioners have warm and nurturing bonds with the children. Children happily come into the provision and settle quickly into activities. They learn to play collaboratively with their peers and eagerly invite them into their play. For example, children work together as they explore water and drainpipes out in the garden. Practitioners frequently praise children for their efforts, which helps to boost their self-confidence and self-esteem. Children and practitioners demonstrate a positive attitude to learning and are curious about the world around them. For example, while out in the garden, they use books to help identify different types of insects.

Practitioners have high expectations for children and their behaviour, including children who face barriers to learning. Practitioners work hard in supporting children to understand these expectations, and children who face barriers to learning have made significant progress in their behaviour and understanding of the expectations in recent months. However, occasionally, behaviour is not managed consistently by practitioners, and children's behaviour begins to escalate before being managed effectively. Leaders are supporting practitioners with strategies for managing behaviour to ensure there is a consistent approach.

Leaders work closely with families in regards to attendance and punctuality. They explain the importance of attending regularly to parents, and will follow up on unexplained absences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children's welfare and wellbeing is consistently prioritised by practitioners and leaders. Children demonstrate a secure sense of belonging and have secure attachments with the warm and nurturing practitioners. Practitioners take pride in children's achievements and proudly tell others, which enhances children's wellbeing.

All practitioners have an in-depth understanding of children's individual needs, any adaptations they may need and their next steps in learning and development. Practitioners respond quickly and effectively to any changes in children's needs or family circumstances. They are quick to introduce strategies to support children with these changes. For example, they introduce children to social stories to aid with transitions.

Practitioners ensure that routines meet the individual needs of the children. For example, babies sleep when they need, to rather than at specific times, which helps to prioritise their wellbeing.

Children know the routines of the day well. Practitioners help children as they learn to regulate their own emotions, which helps to develop children's emotional resilience. Children learn to make their own healthy choices and decisions. For example, children serve themselves lunch and learn to recognise whether they are hungry or full. Children learn to recognise when they are in need of a drink and then confidently pour their own drinks. Mealtimes are social occasions for children in their family groups. They talk about their day and things they have enjoyed, which also enhances their communication skills alongside their personal, social and emotional development.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are highly reflective, and have a secure understanding of the provision's strengths and areas for development. For example, leaders are aware of the inconsistencies in curriculum knowledge and have put extensive support in place to raise the quality of teaching even further. They are highly focused on being adaptive and responsive to the changing needs of children and the nursery environment, to ensure they continue to provide high-quality teaching and learning for all the children.

Leaders have developed a culture of high expectations across the provision. Practitioners demonstrate a drive to continuously improve their practice and teaching. They regularly reflect with leaders and use this to develop their practice further. Leaders ensure that every view is listened to and included in the reflections. This includes encouraging practitioners to try new things, reflect and adapt as necessary. Leaders have developed a wellbeing programme that focuses on practitioners to ensure they are being effectively supported. This includes leaders ensuring that practitioners feel valued and their workloads remain manageable. Leaders demonstrate they know their practitioners very well and offer support as needed.

Leaders work hard to develop partnerships with parents, and this helps children to thrive, particularly at times of transition. Parents note that practitioners and leaders 'go above and beyond for them'. This effective partnership between leaders, practitioners and parents means that parents feel able to share personal details that may impact upon the child, so that leaders and practitioners can be pre-emptive about any support that may be needed.