Hillside House Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have established a highly inclusive culture where children are known, valued and supported as individuals. Children's backgrounds, languages and experiences are celebrated and reflected in the provision, helping them feel respected, included and represented. Staff identify children's needs early through observation, assessment and close partnership working with families. Leaders ensure support is carefully tailored and reviewed regularly, enabling them to evaluate its effectiveness and make timely adjustments to support children's learning, development and wellbeing.

Children who may face barriers to learning benefit from well-considered adaptations and targeted support. For example, children with emerging communication and interaction needs receive additional support through sensory experiences, visual prompts and access to familiar adults and quieter spaces. Personal care and support plans are reviewed regularly and adapted as children develop. Leaders ensure that support remains proportionate and responsive to children's changing needs.

Leaders work effectively with parents, the local authority and other professionals to secure timely intervention. Staff with specific responsibility to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have recently completed additional specialist training. They use this expertise to strengthen inclusive practice and support staff development across the setting. Leaders use additional funding thoughtfully to reduce barriers to children's learning and participation, providing resources and support that are carefully matched to children's individual needs.

Leaders carefully monitor the progress and wellbeing of children with SEND, disadvantaged children and those who face additional challenges. There are currently no children attending who are known, or previously known, to children's social care. Leaders have appropriate systems in place to identify and support children should the need arise in the future. As a result, children access a curriculum that reflects their individual strengths and needs, participate fully in nursery life and develop a strong sense of belonging.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that meets the learning and development requirements of the early years foundation stage and places communication and language at its centre. Children benefit from a range of meaningful experiences that support their physical development, personal, social and emotional development, communication skills and understanding of the world. Staff support children's communication and vocabulary development through conversations, modelling and purposeful interactions. Leaders have accurately identified communication and language as a priority and have introduced initiatives, such as core stories, songs, Makaton and communication prompts to support practice and improve outcomes for children.

Staff know the children well and use observations and assessment information effectively to identify children's starting points, monitor progress and plan appropriate next steps. Activities are carefully adapted to meet children's individual needs, interests and stages of development, including for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning. Children benefit from opportunities to develop physical skills through activities such as balancing, climbing and obstacle courses. Mathematical language is introduced naturally through counting, positional language and everyday experiences.

The quality of teaching is not consistently effective in extending children's thinking and learning. Staff do not always allow children time to think or respond. For example, when they ask children questions about how they might solve a problem staff give children the answers and intervene too quickly. This means that children do not have sufficient opportunities to deepen their language, reasoning and critical thinking skills.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those receiving additional funding and those who face barriers to learning and wellbeing, make appropriate progress from their starting points. They develop knowledge and skills across the areas of learning and development, particularly in communication and language. Younger children gain confidence in communicating their needs, while older children engage in conversations, ask questions and use an increasing range of vocabulary. Children with emerging communication and interaction needs benefit from targeted support and adaptations that help them participate in learning experiences alongside their peers.

Children develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for their next stage of learning. They become increasingly independent through everyday routines. They learn to manage their feelings and behaviour, develop positive relationships with others and build the early literacy, mathematical and communication skills that support readiness for school.

While children make continued progress across the curriculum, opportunities to deepen and consolidate learning are not always fully realised. As a result, some children could achieve more from the learning experiences provided.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have established a positive and nurturing environment where expectations for behaviour are understood and promoted consistently. Staff use positive role modelling, praise and encouragement to help children understand expectations, develop good manners and build positive relationships with others. Children form warm relationships with practitioners, who know them well and provide reassurance, support and guidance that reflects their individual needs and stages of development.

Children are supported to learn and play alongside others. They share resources, take turns and cooperate during activities. For example, children encourage and celebrate one another's achievements as they complete physical challenges and work together to adapt resources in their play. Staff help children to recognise and manage their feelings through calm interactions and age-appropriate support. Children are consistently well behaved, polite and respectful to others and their environment.

Leaders place an emphasis on the importance of children's attendance and follow up unexplained absences promptly. Staff understand that changes in attendance patterns may indicate wider concerns and work appropriately with families when needed.

Leaders have identified transitions as an area for improvement and have recently introduced strategies to support and strengthen routines. They are aware that these are not yet fully consistent in practice. At times, children experience unnecessary waiting during routines and group activities, which reduces opportunities for engagement and learning.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children's individual care, health and wellbeing needs are understood and supported effectively. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to ensure care routines, medical needs and developmental considerations are reflected in children's daily experiences. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning and wellbeing benefit from tailored support, including individual care plans, familiar adults, sensory adaptations and targeted interventions.

Children form secure attachments with their key persons and other familiar staff. Leaders place importance on children's emotional wellbeing and adapt key-person arrangements where appropriate to ensure children develop trusting relationships with adults who know them well. This helps children feel safe, settled and confident.

Staff support children to develop an understanding of healthy lifestyles through discussions about healthy eating, physical activity and self-care routines. Mealtimes, sleep routines and personal care arrangements generally support children's individual needs well. Staff demonstrate secure knowledge of safer sleep practices and health procedures.

Leaders have identified aspects of routine practice that require greater consistency and have taken prompt action to address these. During the inspection, some aspects of routine practice lacked consistency. Leaders responded swiftly to address this and reinforced expectations with staff. As a result, children are safe, well cared for and their welfare and wellbeing are promoted effectively.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have maintained a clear focus on improvement during a period of leadership change and have ensured continuity for children, families and staff. They have an accurate understanding of the setting's strengths and priorities and have established a culture of reflection, accountability and continuous improvement. As a result, improvement work is carefully targeted and aligned to children's needs.

Leaders have identified communication and language, transitions and consistency of practice as key priorities. They have implemented a range of evidence-informed approaches, including coaching, professional development and opportunities for staff to reflect on and strengthen their practice. Staff report feeling well supported and valued. Leaders actively promote staff wellbeing through regular supervision, responsive support and a collaborative team culture. Consequently, staff are increasingly confident, reflective and committed to improving children's experiences and outcomes.

Leaders make decisions that place children's needs at the centre of their work. They monitor the impact of support for children who face barriers to learning and wellbeing and use this information to refine provision and target resources effectively. Additional funding is used purposefully to provide resources, adaptations and targeted support that help children participate fully in nursery life and access learning opportunities alongside their peers.

Leaders maintain effective oversight of safeguarding, health and safety and risk management. They respond promptly to incidents, concerns and emerging issues and take appropriate action to strengthen practice where needed. Following a previous accident, leaders reviewed risk assessments, strengthened expectations around supervision and provided additional training to further reduce risks to children.

Leaders evaluate the impact of their actions carefully and use this information to inform further improvement. Recent work to strengthen communication and language, staff development and inclusive practice is beginning to improve children's engagement, participation and learning experiences. As a result, children benefit from an increasingly inclusive environment where they are supported well to learn, develop and thrive.