Happy Trails Play

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have established a deeply embedded culture of inclusion, where all children, regardless of their starting points or needs, are recognised as unique individuals. They maintain high expectations for children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work effectively with parents and carers and other professionals to meet each child's needs. Staff have a secure understanding of children's developmental stages and use information from observations, family discussions and external agencies to identify emerging needs accurately and promptly. This leads to precise assessments and meaningful, well-targeted plans.

Leaders take proactive steps to remove barriers to learning through specialist guidance, appropriate adaptations and targeted support. Staff and leaders work very hard to seek and implement tailored support for children. They attend training to help them support each child's unique needs and work collaboratively with other professionals. Children with SEND, those with other barriers to learning and who speak English as an additional language, are supported effectively to participate fully in nursery life. Support plans are reviewed regularly, ensuring strategies remain effective and responsive. Leaders are highly committed to securing appropriate support for children. They support parents to understand children's needs, and use additional funding purposefully to maximise children's progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff understand the areas of learning and recognise how planned activities support learning. Teaching is typically appropriate and aligned to children's starting points. Overall, the curriculum is well sequenced to help children build on what they know and can do. This helps children to make confident progress. Communication and language are prioritised, with staff reading stories, singing songs and engaging children in meaningful conversations. Assessment is used appropriately to check progress and adapt teaching. Appropriate adjustments for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities help them to participate fully.

Babies and younger children benefit from tailored support for their personal, social and emotional development, helping them feel safe, secure and stimulated. Children of all ages enjoy opportunities to be physically active, such as younger children learning to climb stairs safely. Children are supported well to develop their mathematical understanding through counting, comparing quantities and solving simple problems. Although teaching is typically delivered well, there are some aspects where it is not as effective. For example, teaching is not always delivered as leaders intend and, at times, activities are not pitched appropriately to reflect children's individual learning needs, particularly for those who are more capable. Children are generally happy, engaged and well supported. They typically experience rich learning opportunities that help them gain skills for their future learning, including for school. Leaders' ongoing evaluation of practice and commitment to continuous improvement underpin these positive experiences.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children achieve well and are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make sustained progress from their starting points. Children gain confidence in making their own choices, such as older children deciding where to play. Babies enjoy songs and rhymes and join in confidently with accompanying actions. Children's speech and language skills develop as they share books, listen to stories and recall familiar words and phrases.

Children develop important skills for the future, including in their independence. They help to prepare snacks for their peers and pour their own drinks, and babies learn to feed themselves independently. Toddlers begin to manage their own self-care, such as using tissues and understanding the importance of washing their hands at appropriate times.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders have embedded a harmonious, respectful and nurturing culture, where children consistently demonstrate positive behaviour and attitudes. The environment is calm and welcoming, with clear expectations that are reinforced consistently across the setting. Secure, trusting relationships between staff and children help them feel safe, valued and confident to explore. Staff model warm, respectful interactions and skilfully support children to collaborate, share and navigate social challenges with increasing independence. During group times and storytelling, children listen attentively, show empathy and articulate feelings. Most children demonstrate a mature understanding of their emotions and how to manage their responses. Older children take turns to roll dice and play collaboratively during hide and seek games. They show excitement and praise other children for their achievements.

Leaders and staff use secure and consistent strategies to support children, who struggle to regulate their behaviour, including clear development plans tailored to individual needs. Activities are thoughtfully designed to help children release energy, and staff draw on behaviour management training to provide purposeful praise. Routines are well embedded and adapted to children's ages and stages, helping build confidence and independence. Attendance is positively promoted, with robust systems to monitor and follow up concerns. All children, including those newer to the setting or with additional needs, receive effective support and demonstrate secure, happy and positive attitudes throughout the day.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff clearly prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. Policies are firmly embedded to maintain high standards. Highly effective settling procedures help children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to feel safe and secure. Thoughtful adaptations are made to meet the individual needs of individual children. Leaders and staff know children extremely well. The key-person approach is consistent and responsive to children's individual needs, and routines are adapted to support each child's welfare and wellbeing.

Children learn about healthy eating through rich, hands-on experiences. They help to grow their own produce, harvest it and help to prepare snacks, giving them a meaningful understanding of their diet. Children are offered a wide variety of foods, including meals inspired by other countries and cultures around the world. This helps them develop healthy eating habits, broadens their experiences and builds an early appreciation of cultural diversity. Staff model highly effective activities and routines, offering consistent guidance that helps children understand the importance of oral health, for instance.

Throughout the day, staff guide children to recognise and express their feelings appropriately, offering reassurance and modelling language that helps them manage emotions with increasing independence. Care routines, such as feeding, weaning and rest, are thoughtfully adapted to each child's developmental stage. This helps them to feel safe, settled and ready to engage. Children demonstrate positive attitudes, increasing self-regulation and a growing understanding of personal safety, health and physical wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a clear and ambitious vision that prioritises the best outcomes for all children. They generally understand the setting well and manage it effectively, offering purposeful guidance and maintaining high expectations. Leaders typically have an accurate grasp of strengths across the nursery and, although the team is newly formed, they work together well. Leaders' decisions reflect the needs of all children, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

A culture of continuous improvement is established. Staff engage in reflective practice and benefit from peer observations and targeted coaching. Professional development is meaningful and has a clear impact on everyday practice. Leaders generally make effective use of training opportunities, enabling staff to develop skills in key areas, such as sensory play, behaviour support, outdoor learning and inclusive practice. Staff report feeling valued, well supported and positive about their workload.

Engagement with parents and carers, and external professionals is effective and enhances the support children receive. Leaders act on feedback and continue to refine practice, including supporting professional development further and helping staff to embed mathematical learning even more consistently, following recent reflections.