Harpenden Day Nursery and Pre School

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders have created an inclusive setting where staff know children and their families well. They understand children's starting points, home experiences and interests and use these to help them access learning. Children's fascinations are built into the curriculum. Approaches such as sensory experiences, schemas and emotional regulation help children who experience barriers to their learning or behaviour. Children benefit from strategies that are woven naturally through the day. Sign language is used from the baby room onwards and is reinforced through singing sessions. Even the youngest children enthusiastically use familiar signs and actions. Targeted sessions further support children's listening, attention and communication.

Staff have identified some children who have gaps in their learning or need additional support with their communication, behaviour or emotional regulation. They work closely with parents and carers to understand these needs. They seek advice from external professionals and local area specialist. However, additional support is not always planned and reviewed systematically enough. For some children, strategies remain responsive rather than being clearly targeted and tracked over time. This means leaders cannot always be certain that support is reducing barriers quickly enough or helping these children to make the best possible progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. This begins with children, building on their starting points, interests and fascinations to prepare them for what comes next. Children are fascinated by planets, and staff have developed this through carefully chosen books, new vocabulary and resources that encouraged them to explore the solar system. Communication and language are a particular focus. From babies onwards, staff model and extend language, which helps children progress from single words to phrases and sentences. During group sessions, children hear descriptive language, such as 'pink, round, bouncy ball'. During play dough, staff introduce more complex vocabulary such as 'serrated', alongside mathematical language about size, shape, weight and number.

Children's personal, social and emotional development is prioritised. They learn to recognise emotions using colours and access sensory resources and calm spaces when they need help to regulate. At its best, teaching is purposeful and engaging, and children concentrate for sustained periods. However, this quality is not yet consistent. Staff do not always respond to what children say and do or extend their ideas sufficiently. Consequently, sometimes opportunities to deepen learning across the curriculum are missed.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make progress from their starting points. They develop the knowledge and skills they need for what comes next. Communication and language are a particular success. Some children who previously had delayed language now speak with increasing confidence. Toddlers initiate conversations, copy new words and use their growing vocabulary to express what they need and share their ideas. Children are proud of their achievements and cannot wait to show staff what they have made or drawn. They develop a positive sense of themselves, celebrate their uniqueness and increasingly believe in what they can do. Children who experience barriers to their learning make progress, although this is not equally secure across all areas of their development. Children confidently transition between rooms as they grow. By the time they leave for school, they are increasingly independent, resilient learners who are confident in themselves and ready for their next stage.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children behave positively and understand the expectations of the setting. From their earliest days, babies experience gentle, sensitive routines that help them feel secure. As children move through the nursery, they become more independent and understand familiar routines and boundaries, and respond well to praise.

Children have warm, respectful relationships with staff and each other. Staff model kindness and good manners and use simple reminders, such as 'listening ears' and 'good looking', alongside familiar signs. Children respond readily to instructions and learn to wait, take turns and share. During music sessions, they seek out a friend to share a prop and dance together. They listen attentively and join in confidently. Children attend regularly, which helps them to become familiar with routines and develop a secure sense of belonging. They are enthusiastic, motivated and curious learners. For example, children spend sustained periods experimenting with bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. They excitedly add different colours and watch their volcanoes bubble and overflow. This supports their developing curiosity and positive attitudes towards learning. At times during less structured or free-flow periods, children become overexcited or their engagement reduces. Although their behaviour remains positive, staff do not always plan appropriate experiences or provide sufficient guidance and teaching in these moments to help children sustain purposeful play and engagement.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children benefit from warm, responsive care that reflects their individual needs. Secure relationships with key persons are evident from the baby room onwards. Staff know the small details that comfort and reassure children and adapt routines sensitively as their needs change. Everyday care, from wiping a face to changing a nappy or supporting children at mealtimes, is calm and nurturing. Children's emotional wellbeing is a particular highlight. They learn to recognise and express their feelings, including using colours to describe their emotions. Sensory resources, familiar comforters and quiet times help children, including those experiencing barriers, to begin to understand how to regulate themselves.

Babies' sleeping, feeding and weaning routines are individualised. Safer sleeping procedures and checks are consistently followed, and the weaning menu considers babies' stages of development and reduces choking risks. Parents and carers value the personalised advice and reassurance they receive. Children are physically active and overall enjoy nutritious meals. However, staff do not consistently build children's understanding of healthy choices. Therefore, children do not always gain the knowledge they need to make informed choices and develop healthy habits for the future.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders and managers have a clear vision for the nursery and many improvements are already having a positive impact. Leaders understand the strengths of the setting and what they want to improve. Changes to room organisation, the outdoor environment and provision have been carefully considered around children's ages, stages and individual needs. Leaders are highly visible and know children, families and staff well. Parent and carer partnerships are prioritised, and leaders act on feedback to improve families' experiences. Links with home are effective. Staff share important information with parents and offer practical ideas and strategies that support children's learning and care at home and in the nursery. This helps children experience consistent support between home and nursery.

Leaders have a clear oversight of the setting and maintain appropriate ratios. They deploy staff carefully and provide regular supervision and support. Staff's wellbeing is given high priority, they feel valued and are confident to seek guidance from leaders when they need it. Staff complete some relevant training, and leaders and managers support practice and provide in the moment feedback. Room leaders are effective role models and contribute positively to the day-to-day leadership of the setting. However, professional development is not always targeted precisely enough to individual staff's needs. Consequently, some staff require further support to consistently adapt and extend their teaching and implement the curriculum effectively for all children.