Happy Hearts Childcare The Nursery LTD

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders are passionate about inclusion and reducing barriers that children face. They are knowledgeable in identifying needs to accurately put in place appropriate next steps in children's learning. Leaders regularly monitor children's development to effectively assess the quality of their support. Leaders and staff work together to use early years pupil premium funding appropriately to build on children's learning. For example, they put in place additional sensory toys to help engage children through their interests and model language alongside play.

Leaders and staff also work closely with parents and carers to put in place referrals to external experts. They also work well with outside agencies to gain and implement advice and support. This approach helps to support children, especially those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to make positive progress.

Leaders and staff also put in place appropriate support for those children known to social care. For instance, they prioritise supporting children's emotional development to build their confidence and trust. Staff support children to regulate through comfort and distraction. Leaders have ongoing conversations with social care professionals to ensure effective support is in place to meet the needs of the children. At times, some staff do not consistently embed high-quality teaching to make a sustained difference to children's opportunities and experiences.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff support children to settle well to access learning, especially children known to social care. Leaders and staff get to know children well to build their self-confidence to access the provision freely. Staff also use this knowledge to build on what children know and can do. For example, typically, staff add resources to extend children's play, adding new vocabulary and encouraging back-and-forth conversations with their peers.

Generally, staff narrate children's play to build on children's language and thinking skills. Staff adapt language appropriate to the age and stage of children's development. For example, when children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) use gesture for engagement, staff are responsive, adding simple language to what they point at. Typically, staff adapt their teaching to meet children's needs. For example, they adapt routines for those children with SEND to effectively support their stage of development. Additionally, staff support children's mathematical language. For example, during children's play and stories, staff introduce mathematical concepts such as size, position and counting. Children make positive progress from their starting points.

Leaders and staff develop children's physical skills to promote independence. Generally, staff model how to use resources to support children to access the resources themselves. For example, some staff model how to roll soft balls and build with blocks, which children copy. Staff provide appropriate resources to support babies to learn to pull up, walk and climb. On occasion, staff do not consistently provide high-quality teaching.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children form positive bonds with staff, especially those children known to social care. This helps them access the provision with confidence. Children make progress in all areas of learning. They develop their physical skills well. Older children balance on tyres and enjoy pushing themselves on an outdoor swing. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, learn to reach and crawl for toys and resources that interest them. They develop their large muscles well. Additionally, babies and older children learn to mark make using different resources, such as wax crayons, chalk and hammers, provided by staff. This prepares children well for their next stage in learning, such as school.

Children develop their communication and language through their interests. Typically, babies and older children listen to nursery rhymes and stories with interest. Children enjoy filling in the missing words to pauses in stories. Furthermore, when babies explore items such as sensory tiles, they copy and practise new words they have learned. When older children learn about being a vet, they use and remember new vocabulary, such as 'temperature' and 'bandage'.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children become more independent because of staff's careful help. Older children take off their coats and shoes when coming indoors. When children find it difficult to zip their coats up, staff model how to achieve this. Children continue and show pride in their achievements. Staff provide easily accessible toys and resources, where babies build their independence and confidence as they access the provision freely.

Children develop close relationships with staff. They understand the rules of the setting for how to behave sensibly. When staff reinforce expectations, children listen and follow them. For example, when babies grab lots of crayons to colour, staff model taking one in each hand to support sharing. Additionally, older children learn to be patient. Staff encourage children to play with other toys if they find it difficult to wait. Children also learn to play together in harmony with each other. For instance, staff encourage children to work together using the nursery swing. Staff teach children that one child can push as another swings. Children show enjoyment working as a team. This also further supports turn-taking as the children swap roles.

Leaders and staff proactively follow their attendance policy and procedures to ensure the safety of all children. They promote attendance and punctuality with parents and carers to ensure all children access the education and care they have to offer.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Leaders and staff do not always ensure children are safely seated while eating. For example, some groups of children stand for lunch, jumping while eating food. This could be a potential choking hazard. Leaders need to establish appropriate safety measures to support children during mealtimes.

Staff encourage children to eat healthier foods first from their lunches to promote good health. Leaders share healthy food policies with parents and carers. Children develop their self-care needs. For instance, during mealtimes, babies use spoons to scoop and older children use forks to eat. This also develops children's independence skills.

Leaders have implemented flexible settling sessions to support the needs of the children. This supports children, especially those known to social care, to feel confident and build trust. Furthermore, staff prioritise getting to know the children to build secure attachments. For example, staff work with parents and adapt teaching, such as bringing a toy from home, to help transition smoothly to nursery. When children become upset, staff comfort them with cuddles and reassurance. Staff also help babies manage their emotions through distraction. Children build their emotional skills from a young age. Staff are also responsive to children's needs. For example, when children show signs of tiredness, staff offer home comforts and support them to nap.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders and staff do not always use knowledge from training to ensure they adequately assess risks in the nursery. At times, leaders and staff do not identify minor hazards or effectively check for risks, such as to make sure activities and resources are age- and stage-appropriate. These hazards pose a small risk to children and do not fully protect them from potential harm. Additionally, leaders have not carefully considered the safe seating arrangements for children while eating. These breaches of the statutory requirement do not have a significant impact on children's safety and welfare. Leaders need to risk assess regularly to meet the needs of the children.

Staff feel valued and well supported by their leaders. They work well as a team, where staff confidently express areas for improvement to support children's learning and development. For example, leaders and staff recently changed their outdoor provision to implement more opportunities for children to balance and develop their hand muscles and language through imaginative play.

Leaders and staff also work in partnership with parents and carers to support the needs of children. They share information about children's learning with parents to support learning at home. Leaders work alongside parents with outside agencies to support those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care. Leaders share information and advice with staff to implement changes when necessary. This careful approach supports meeting the needs of children effectively. Leaders also work well with schools. They encourage schools to come into the setting to help get to know the children before transitioning to school. Leaders also share children's learning and development needs with schools. This supports continuity and progression in children's education and care.