Happy Days Pre School

Inclusion: Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive prompt support. With the skilled guidance of leaders and managers, staff are effective at identifying and supporting children with SEND. Leaders expertly use their knowledge of each child to implement personalised strategies and regularly review them. Overall, children benefit from targeted support that helps them to achieve their next steps. However, on occasion, the learning environment does not fully support children with SEND in engaging in small-group interventions, due to high-noise levels. This can impact their ability to focus on interactions.

Staff signpost parents to a range of professionals to support children. This ensures that children get the specific support they need. Children with SEND, as well as those from families in challenging situations, succeed alongside their friends. Leaders and staff work closely with schools to support smooth and effective transitions for all children.

Leaders promptly identify barriers to children's learning, and they use additional funding to extend their experiences. For example, where children have limited access to outdoor play at home, staff ensure they have access to large apparatus and equipment to promote their physical and emotional health.

Leaders work in close partnership with parents of children with SEND, to ensure they feel fully included and involved in their children's learning and development. Leaders and staff support children in building relationships with their new teachers, as they prepare to move on to school through visits and information-sharing.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed and implemented an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, that reflects children's interests and supports their individual learning styles. They have made significant changes since the previous inspection regarding how children are observed and how staff use this information to plan activities and experiences to meet their needs. This has had a positive impact on the progress that all children make across all areas of learning.

Leaders work closely with staff to ensure that teaching and interactions appropriately support children's learning. Overall, staff pay close attention to children's age, developmental stage and individual needs. However, on occasion, they overlook the needs of the youngest children. For example, during water play, staff do not ensure that all children have access to the resources they need to build on what they already know and can do.

Communication is a focus in the setting. Staff effectively use songs, stories and narration during play to help children hear and practise new and familiar words. Children become confident in their communication through a variety of means. Staff consistently use visual aids, such as 'objects of reference' and 'now and next' boards, to support children to understand the expectations of them. The use of these strategies helps all children to develop their independence as they engage in play opportunities.

Staff teach children mathematical skills and a good understanding of number. They weave mathematical concepts into daily activities, such as lining up, pouring drinks and tidy-up time.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children achieve well from their starting points. They delight in learning alongside their peers, develop warm friendships and cooperate well with each other. Children can take turns and understand the need to share resources so that everyone can participate in play. Children particularly enjoy scooping up water and filling containers. They demonstrate kindness and compassion to others and help their peers find shapes during the outdoor shape hunt.

Children respond positively to interactions, and giggle and laugh when adults use humour during the 'hello' song at group time. Children develop their gross motor skills through physical challenge. They demonstrate good hand-eye coordination and firmly embedded knowledge of number, as they match cubes to number cards independently. Some children can recognise when they make an error in counting, and add one more, or one less cube, to ensure the cubes correspond to the number on the card.

Children develop into confident communicators and can express their feelings appropriately. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, develop the skills and attitudes needed to be successful in the next stage of their education.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have made significant changes in how children are supported in understanding their feelings and making more positive-behaviour choices. This has had a positive impact on children's levels of engagement and attitudes to learning. Children are eager to try new experiences and access resources with confidence, to extend their thoughts and ideas.

Staff develop respectful relationships with children. This helps children to feel safe, secure and ready to learn. They learn about their emotions and feel comfortable discussing and demonstrating them. Support for regular and prompt attendance helps children to understand routines and benefit from their time in the setting. Staff have high expectations of children. They are swift to act when they need support in managing their frustrations. Staff model kind and calm behaviour.

Children learn to share and play alongside their friends in age-appropriate ways. For instance, they learn to use 'kind hands' and 'walking feet'. Well-embedded routines help all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, understand the expectations placed on them, which helps to build their self-confidence. Staff are quick to notice and celebrate when children help others, such as during tidying up time.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders have established and embedded an effective key-person system. Staff build strong relationships with all children and families. They share regular updates, and take time to get to know families and children's individual backgrounds. For example, staff clearly understand children's health needs, including allergies, dietary requirements and medication. Care plans for individual children are robust and updated regularly. These include guidance from parents and any external professionals working alongside the children.

Children benefit from spending time outdoors. Staff plan interesting experiences that children engage in during garden time. Leaders recognise that outdoor learning could be extended further to support children who learn best outside. Creating opportunities for children to choose whether they spend time indoors or outdoors forms part of their ongoing action plan.

Children learn to manage their personal care and hygiene routines, promoting positive and healthy habits. Staff consistently underpin their understanding through use of visual cues. This ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, develop important life skills. Children learn about different foods during sociable mealtimes, and how physical activity and oral health also affect their bodies and wellbeing. For example, they know that milk helps to keep their bones strong.

Children learn to understand and manage their emotions and responses. Staff provide activities, such as a collage based on the book 'The Colour Monster', that provoke discussion about different emotions. Children are well supported in talking about their feelings during all points in the day.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have made some significant changes since the previous inspection to drive rapid improvement. These changes have had a positive impact on relationships with parents and carers, and on children's outcomes. However, plans are not yet fully embedded across the provision. Leaders have clear oversight of the provision and are attuned to areas of strength, as well as to where they want practice to develop further. They use an inclusive approach to ensure that staff feel involved in decision-making and developing practice. This creates a sense of ownership and a shared vision for the continued development of the setting.

Staff report high levels of wellbeing, and value the training, professional development opportunities, coaching, and mentoring they have accessed. Staff said that they have enjoyed making changes that contribute to the improvements across the provision. Staff state that their workload is manageable. They feel well supported through effective supervision sessions with leaders. This has further supported them in reflecting on and developing their practice.

Relationships with parents, carers and other professionals have strengthened. Parents report positively on the feedback they receive and how included they are in their child's learning and development. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities praise leaders' rapid response in securing the support and intervention that help their children to achieve better outcomes. Leaders and staff work closely with external professionals to ensure that appropriate interventions, particularly supporting communication and language needs, are firmly embedded into the daily routines.