Hassocks Day Nursery and Preschool

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently meet children's individual needs well. They work collaboratively with parents and carers to ensure that they have a detailed knowledge of each child. Leaders and staff also swiftly identify any barriers to children's learning and take prompt action. This enables them to fully understand how they can effectively support all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Leaders give careful consideration as to how they can make meaningful adjustments that ensure all children are valued and included. This includes reviewing the organisation of the environment to enable all children to successfully join in, particularly during group times. As such, children's individual needs are met and they benefit greatly from the intended learning that these opportunities provide for them.

Leaders have oversight of staff's practice. They ensure that staff complete appropriate training to strengthen their development and practice. Additionally, leaders give staff the necessary guidance to accurately assess children's development and provide them with the support they require. This enables staff to plan effectively for children's continued learning and implement this well in practice.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a secure knowledge of what they want children to learn during their time at the setting. They review this regularly through strategies, such as observations of teaching practice and checking children's progress. This enables them to pinpoint any areas that need a stronger priority. For instance, leaders have identified that some rooms need to place a stronger focus on teaching mathematics. Staff incorporate mathematics into the daily routines and experiences. This includes talking to children about quantities as they build structures in the garden. This helps to ensure that the curriculum that children receive continues to be broad and appropriately challenging.

The setting has recently increased in the number of children who attend. As such, leaders have placed a strong emphasis on supporting all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or barriers to their learning, to build bonds with staff. Staff spend time getting to know children well, which enables them to settle into their new environment quickly and with ease. Staff consider ways to support children to build on their communication and language skills. This includes engaging children in back-and-forth conversations during their play and using hand gestures when they are talking to children with limited or no speech. For example, when children comment on the weather, staff encourage them to recall their past experiences of different weathers. Children eagerly join in with these discussions, which support them to use descriptive words in context.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children benefit from a broad and varied curriculum that supports them to gain the skills and knowledge that they need to move on to the next stage of their learning, including school. For instance, younger children enjoy spending time playing alongside others to stack blocks. This helps them to develop their physical skills as they progress through the nursery. For instance, older children work collaboratively with staff and their friends to build more-complex structures. Children also learn to build on their communication and language skills. For example, younger children benefit from staff speaking gently to them as they explore their learning environment. Children also enjoy listening to stories and singing songs. This gives them opportunities to learn a variety of different words for their later speaking skills. Staff adapt the way they communicate with some children, including those with additional needs. For example, they position themselves so that children can fully see their faces while they are talking. This enables all children to benefit from tailored teaching that precisely meets their individual needs and enables them to become confident learners.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Overall, children behave well. Staff offer them lots of appropriate praise and children respond positively to this. Staff are also calm in their approach to supporting children. They ensure that they give children time to do things. As such, the daily routines are unhurried and delivered at a pace that aligns with children's individual abilities. Children have plenty of opportunities to work collaboratively with staff and their friends. For example, younger children spend time building towers together using wooden blocks. They enjoy watching what happens when the towers fall down, before rebuilding them. Staff support older children to build large structures. They encourage them to find more pieces and children readily follow the instructions they have been given.

Leaders and staff respond promptly when children do not arrive for their session at nursery. They successfully implement their policies and procedures to follow up on any absences that have not been notified to them, which helps to promote children's regular attendance and punctuality.

Children show positive behaviour as they wait patiently for their turn during group activities, such as circle times and mealtimes. Staff ensure that each child has a chance to share their thoughts and ideas, which supports children to feel valued and included. However, at times, staff do not give consistent messages about how children are expected to behave. For instance, on occasion, staff do not swiftly address children's behaviour to help them be prepared for differing expectations as they progress through the setting.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff focus on building strong bonds with all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and barriers to their learning. They ensure that they gather appropriate details about children before they start. They work in partnership with parents to ensure that there is an effective two-way sharing of relevant information. This enables staff to implement effective care practices that meet children's individual needs. For example, staff warmly greet children and consider ways to support them when they arrive unsettled. Consequently, children quickly settle and engage in their learning.

Staff successfully build on children's understanding of how to look after their bodies. For example, they incorporate discussions about healthy eating during the daily routines. This includes talking to children about how watermelon is hydrating. Staff continue these discussions during group activities and encourage children to think about foods that are healthy and unhealthy. Children show what they have learned and talk about how too much unhealthy food can give you a 'tummy ache'. Staff extend these learning experiences further by reminding children about how food can affect their teeth, which helps children to develop an understanding of oral health.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Since taking over the setting, leaders have identified strengths and areas for development. This has enabled them to make significant improvements to the quality of the provision. They have focused on embedding relevant changes. This includes introducing new daily routines to ensure that children's needs are met. For instance, they spent time supporting children and staff to become familiar with the mealtime arrangements, in order to promote children's behaviour and safety at these times.

Leaders are prioritising training and wellbeing for staff. They ensure that staff complete relevant training to help them to understand their roles and responsibilities. Additionally, leaders support staff with further training to enhance and strengthen their practice, such as professional qualifications.

Leaders support staff's wellbeing by giving them allocated time to complete their training alongside their work commitments. Leaders speak to staff regularly through meetings and informal discussions. Staff speak highly about their experience of working at the setting. Leaders ensure that appropriate information is gathered about children before they start. This enables leaders and staff to consider how they can meet children's individual needs, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or children who have barriers to their learning.