Harvey House Nursery Willow

Inclusion: Needs attention

There are weaknesses in the deployment of staff, particularly during routines and when children move across the nursery. For example, as children move from the inside to the outside, staff do not clearly communicate what is happening next, resulting in children becoming unsettled and unclear about what is expected of them. This results in children waiting for familiar staff to be available to meet their individual needs.

Leaders and staff work in close partnership with parents and carers and other professionals to secure essential funding and support. They observe children closely so that they can identify individual needs and potential gaps in progress. Parents are complimentary of the support they have received from leaders and staff to help their child, for example to understand the education, health and care plan process.

Leaders understand how to use additional funding to provide targeted support and resources for disadvantaged children. They consider what is in the best interests of all children. Leaders quickly follow up on any absence and recognise the importance of regular attendance.

Curriculum and teaching: Needs attention

Leaders demonstrate a passionate commitment to improve the curriculum for all children, including those where there are barriers to learning. They have designed a broad curriculum that focuses on learning through play. There is a focus on providing opportunities to cover all areas of learning. However, younger children do not yet benefit from a consistent, motivating and sequenced curriculum. In other rooms, weaknesses in staff deployment and activity planning mean that teaching does not accurately reflect children's individual developmental stages. Staff do not consistently use their knowledge of what children already know and can do to plan opportunities for them to build on their skills and knowledge.

Staff promote children's communication and language skills. They introduce vocabulary during play and regularly share books to support early language development. Staff introduce early mathematical concepts, such as counting, singing number rhymes and opportunities to explore shapes in the environment.

Staff provide children with lots of opportunities to have fresh air and exercise. Older children enjoy practising their physical skills as they climb on the indoor climbing apparatus. Babies pull themselves up to stand and enjoy exploring their environment.

Achievement: Needs attention

Children's achievement is variable across the nursery. Babies develop confidence as they explore independently and benefit from secure attachments with their key persons, seeking them out for reassurance and support. Younger children enjoy exploring and investigating their environment. However, they do not consistently develop the knowledge and skills expected for their age because they are not fully engaged in purposeful learning. Older children make progress across the areas of learning and demonstrate developing knowledge and skills. However, opportunities for them to build on what they already know and can do are not consistently well matched to their individual developmental stage. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from targeted support and additional funding. This enables them to participate alongside their peers and make progress from their individual starting points.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Needs attention

Daily routines, including transitions to the garden and mealtimes, are not always organised effectively. As a result, some children spend too long waiting and become bored or unsettled. At other times, staff interrupt younger children who are highly engaged in their learning to follow established routines. This reduces children's levels of involvement and limits opportunities for sustained learning. Leaders have established clear expectations for behaviour and respectful relationships. They recognise that routines need to be more effectively organised to ensure they support children's engagement, independence and sustained learning.

Children generally behave well and benefit from positive and respectful relationships with staff. Staff support children sensitively to manage their emotions and resolve minor conflicts. Children are supported to share and cooperate during play. Staff encourage children to develop independence. For example, children tidy away their toys before mealtimes.

Sleep routines are well established within the setting. Staff understand how to place babies down to sleep in line with government safety guidelines. They undertake checks to ensure babies' continued safety and comfort while sleeping. Older children behave well, work cooperatively and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Attendance and punctuality are promoted effectively, and children enjoy attending the nursery.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Needs attention

Care routines are not always organised well enough to consistently support children's care and wellbeing. Staff deployment during key routines, including nappy changing and lunchtime, is less effective than in other areas of practice. As a result, some children wait for extended periods. This affects their engagement and emotional wellbeing. Hygiene routines are not consistently followed. For example, some younger children's hands are washed before meals, while others are not.

Leaders have clear policies and procedures for mealtimes. However, these are not consistently understood or implemented by all staff. During observations of mealtimes and routine changes, leaders identified inconsistencies in how staff organised transitions, communicated expectations to children and supported children to remain engaged. Leaders provided immediate coaching and recognise that further support and monitoring are needed to ensure practice is consistently embedded across the team.

Children establish close relationships with their key person. They teach children about different emotions. They use stories and discussions to help children recognise feelings and understand behaviour. The nursery provides nutritious, home-cooked meals and healthy snacks. Children with allergies are well supported. Leaders work closely with parents and external professionals to ensure children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive targeted support, feel included and make some progress from their starting points.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Leaders have a broad understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for improvement. During the inspection, leaders recognised that further development is required across several aspects of the provision. They identified the need to strengthen oversight of children during mealtimes to ensure safer eating practices, improve the quality of teaching and interactions, and enhance staff deployment. Leaders also recognised the need to organise routines and transitions more effectively and to implement the curriculum consistently so that all children make the progress of which they are capable.

Professional learning is now a priority. Staff are beginning to benefit from frequent online training, coaching and modelling that is closely linked to their needs and the identified priorities for improvement. Leaders are committed to supporting staff wellbeing. They make reasonable adjustments where appropriate and encourage open communication. Staff report they feel listened to and valued.

Leaders engage with parents and other professionals thoughtfully and in a way that supports children, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Parents and carers comment positively on the effective support they receive from leaders. They find the advice and guidance useful to prepare their children for school.