Hopscotch Day Nursery (Sholing) Ltd

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff welcome all families and work very closely with them to meet their individual needs and circumstances. They are highly reflective in considering what more they can do to help and support individual families. The extra steps taken promote parents' and children's wellbeing effectively.

Staff successfully use their observations and assessments to quickly identify any gaps in children's learning. This leads to the implementation of carefully considered adaptations, including the use of signing and one-to-one activities tailored to children's needs. Staff implement learning plans that reflect children's individual needs and support their sustained progress over time. Staff listen carefully to the ongoing advice and guidance of any professionals involved and reflect these in children's plans to ensure they have experiences that make a significant difference to their development. Staff who work closely with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from opportunities to complete specialist training.

Staff thoughtfully use additional funding to support children's individual learning needs, such as creating song and story sacks to promote speech and language skills. Staff support children's continued learning outside of the nursery as parents and children borrow the song and story sacks to use at home. This helps to continue the support staff provide for children's language development. Staff use signing with all children, which promotes an inclusive environment. These approaches help children to consistently move forward in their progress.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of how the curriculum matches and supports all children's needs. They identify training for staff to help improve their skills and develop the quality of teaching. Staff implement a well-sequenced curriculum that is designed to ensure children have the skills they need to prepare them for their future learning, including school. Staff know their key children well and what they need to learn next. They complete regular observations and assessments for children from the start, gaining information from parents on entry about their child's development and needs. They respond swiftly to any gaps in children's learning. Staff successfully tailor the curriculum to meet children's individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or gaps in their development.

Overall, staff provide teaching that supports children's learning and development well. They focus on supporting babies' and children's language and social and physical skills through play and positive interactions. For example, staff nurture children's language, social and mathematical skills when they pretend to buy things at the role-play shop. At times, during some changes of routine, not all staff recognise that some children need further support. Occasionally, staff do not identify when some children new to the nursery may need further guidance to help them become more involved in play and learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children, including those who start the nursery with gaps in their learning or with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points. They gain confidence and develop their social and language skills well. Children develop skills to support their future learning, such as listening and following simple instructions. They confidently have a go and test out their abilities. For instance, babies focus as they confidently balance and walk along a beam. Pre-school children use their prior knowledge to make dough. They recall the ingredients to add and use their mathematical knowledge and share resources with others. Staff encourage toddlers to learn new words and model these clearly, such as when they put words to actions. Focused individual plans for children who need extra help in their learning successfully support them to make progress and gain the skills they need.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders create a welcoming environment for staff, parents and all children. They promote children's regular attendance and, if needed, explain why this is important to parents. Staff are kind and caring towards children, which builds trust and strong bonds between them, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Staff implement a consistent approach to managing children's behaviour, such as reminding children of the expectations to walk indoors. They provide positive praise and encouragement to children, which supports their confidence and self-esteem. Staff make adaptations to support children who may need extra help to regulate their behaviour, such as by offering focused physical activities.

Leaders and staff have implemented effective procedures for times when children move around the premises, such as to the garden or sensory room. Staff complete headcounts, sign children in and out of different areas and complete a check of the register when they return to their room. This means changes from one activity to another are managed safely. However, not all routines are fully effective. For example, not all staff encourage children to join in with tidy-up times, meaning some toddlers wander around without purpose. Staff do not always fully consider pre-school children's activities while they wait for their turn to eat lunch. This means that some children are not engaged in meaningful learning at these times.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff work closely with parents regarding care practices at home, such as sleeping and weaning, to support babies' security and wellbeing. Staff supervise all children closely to promote their safety. For example, they complete regular checks of sleeping children. They sit with children while they eat and remind them to stay sitting on their chairs to help avoid choking. Staff implement dietary needs and allergy procedures robustly. Children benefit from healthy and nutritious food. They follow consistent hygiene routines, including washing their hands before eating. Staff talk to children about healthy options to help them recognise better choices. Leaders promote healthy eating at home. For example, children choose a piece of fruit to take home to eat.

Staff support children to learn how to move safely as they undertake physical activities. For instance, pre-school children learn to safely climb up and over equipment. Overall, staff meet children's individual needs successfully. Their close bonds support children to feel emotionally safe and secure. Occasionally, staff do not recognise when some children may need some extra support, such as when changes of routine unsettle them. Staff generally implement respectful care practices when they need to interrupt children's play. For example, most staff wait for young children to indicate they are happy to go with them, such as to go and wash their hands.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are actively involved in the day-to-day running of the nursery. They identify improvements needed and work towards these, such as developing children's outdoor learning experiences. Leaders have recently taken effective action to address a breach of requirement linked to staff's supervision of children. They have implemented robust procedures to promote children's safety.

Leaders offer a safe and welcoming environment to children and families. They encourage a positive sense of community and support in their local area. Leaders know the children and families very well, which helps them to meet their needs successfully. There are effective partnerships with other professionals involved in children's care and learning. This promotes a shared understanding of how best to support children.

Leaders and staff gain detailed information from parents about their children when they start. They provide ongoing feedback, including children's next steps in learning. This helps staff and parents work together to support children's progress. Parents borrow books from the nursery's lending library to read to their children, which helps to continue learning at home.

Leaders thoughtfully consider staff's wellbeing and workloads. Staff speak positively about their work at the nursery and the support they receive. Leaders provide training to develop staff's skills. However, leaders do not always ensure that their high expectations for practice are fully embedded across the staff team.