Handsworth Community Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders prioritise the needs of children who are in any way vulnerable and need additional support. Staff complete generally accurate assessments of children's learning when they start at the nursery. This helps staff to promptly identify any children who may need further help, such as children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those that face other barriers to their learning. Staff work closely with parents to understand children's immediate and longer-term needs including, for example, medical concerns, and identify the support and guidance needed. The nursery's special educational needs coordinator supports staff to monitor children's progress and identify the next steps for their learning. These are regularly reviewed and adjusted to secure and build on children's achievement.

Staff act in consultation with other professionals, such as speech and language therapists and local authority advisors, to secure the best advice to support children with additional needs and others who have gaps in their learning or development. Staff analyse the use of additional funding children receive to support the areas of greatest need including, for example, helping develop their physical control and sensory awareness.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

The leadership has established a curriculum framework to support children's overall progress through the nursery. Staff are enthusiastic and committed to the caring and positive ethos the setting promotes. They make some use of observations and assessments to understand what children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, need to learn next. However, the planning sometimes lacks the depth and focus to drive the quality of teaching to the highest levels and consistently embed children's skills, knowledge and understanding across all areas of the curriculum. For example, staff miss opportunities to reinforce children's early learning about shapes through all their activities, such as snack times, mark-making and parachute games.

Staff generally interact with children in a friendly and open manner. However, they do not consistently make effective use of listening and questioning strategies to help children confidently develop and use their emerging vocabulary and language skills.

Leaders place a positive emphasis on supporting all children's independence and confidence, particularly those who are vulnerable, such as those who are known or previously known to social care. Staff develop clear routines that help children understand what happens during the day in order to build their confidence in creating positive relationships and working and playing together.

Achievement: Needs attention

All children make progress through the nursery in preparation for the next stage in their learning. However, this is not as consistent as it could be as staff do not always deepen and embed children's achievements. For example, staff do not systematically model and further encourage children to develop their mathematical vocabulary and understanding as they fill and empty containers in their water play.

Babies learn to keenly explore their environment and feel comfortable with staff and other children. They learn to listen to favourite stories and match actions to songs and nursery rhymes. Older children learn about the months of the year and days of the week as they sing songs in group time, and share a favourite book with staff and their friends in the extensive and well-organised grounds.

Children learn to share and take turns as staff guide them to play memory and matching games about the jungle animals they are finding out about. They are physically active and learn to climb and balance safely on climbing frames or ride trikes and other ride-on toys.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children are typically courteous, friendly and well-behaved throughout the nursery. Leaders have prioritised and established clear routines and expectations for staff to listen to and support children's emotional and personal needs. Staff are consistent in their positive attitudes and caring approach to all children and parents appreciate this. As a result, babies and children settle quickly into the pattern of the day and feel safe and reassured.

Leaders and staff are positive role models. For example, they join with children as they tidy away and purposefully praise them for their teamwork and care. As a result, children are generally proud of their efforts and eager to work and play together. Staff help children to recognise and manage their emotions and feelings. For example, staff work closely with parents to understand daily sleeping and eating routines to support babies to feel relaxed, refreshed and eager to learn. Older children learn to listen to each other and to understand the importance of being patient and taking their turn.

Leaders set clear expectations for children's attendance and punctuality from the start of their relationship with the families and carers. As a result, children attend regularly and parents know procedures for reporting and managing absences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have a clear focus on promoting children's welfare and wellbeing needs overall. This starts with the children's key workers establishing positive relationships with parents to understand all children's personal needs well. As a result, children settle effectively into the daily routines and care of the staff. Staff ensure that children who have additional concerns, including, for instance, those known or previously known to social care, receive timely support to engage in nursery life.

Leaders and staff work together to ensure children are safe indoors and out. They are vigilant when children travel and play in the open spaces and woodlands. They generally involve the children in considering their own safety and encourage them to follow instructions and consider each other's needs.

Staff follow nationally agreed safe-sleeping routines to ensure babies and young children get the rest they need in a caring and secure environment. They support children's personal hygiene and toilet training ensuring children have the privacy and protection they need during nappy changes both indoors and out. Children are supported and encouraged to recognise their own needs. For example, they wash their hands thoroughly and regularly after activities and before eating. Children learn to use cutlery, drink from open cups and serve themselves as they progress through the nursery. Staff help children to understanding about healthy lifestyles as they plant their own vegetables and enjoy the nutritious and balanced meals the nursery prepares for them.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders provide a generally clear and focused direction for the development of the nursery. Since it opened, the leadership team has enriched several aspects of provision. They have worked with the local authority, making effective use of grants, to improve the physical environment for children's learning. They have supported staff to establish clear routines and an overall curriculum. These developments have raised staff morale and had a positive impact on children's wellbeing and the views of parents.

Leaders support staff's professional development through training days, a range of courses and staff meetings. Although, they regularly monitor staff's practice to inform their future training needs, this in not always sharply focused on the impact they have on children's learning. This limits its full effectiveness.

Leaders and staff have built very positive relationships with parents. They engage in frequent communication with parents about aspects of children's progress and provide useful guidance to promote learning at home. Parents, including those of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, appreciate the warm and caring relationships.