Into-Play @ The Quays

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff instil a positive culture of inclusion. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who face barriers to their learning have the same opportunities as their peers. Leaders and staff identify gaps in children's learning. They take swift action to put in place tailored support and make adaptions for these children. Rigorous monitoring of children with SEND's progress is evident. This continually informs the support and adaptions needed to support the needs of individual children. This is particularly helping the older children with SEND or those who face barriers to their learning to help close gaps and prepare them well for the upcoming transition to school.

Typically, leaders and staff consider children's needs well. They support staff to access training and professional development opportunities that develop their skills and knowledge. Generally, this helps staff to best meet children's needs at that time. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to ensure collaborative approaches and a continuity from home to the nursery. They carefully monitor the impact of funding on disadvantaged children to ensure it is having a positive impact on their progress. Staff promote cultural diversity and celebrate children's unique backgrounds. For example, they plan activities linked to cultural festivals and use key words with children in their home languages.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Staff have a secure understanding of how children learn. They know each child and what they know, can do and are interested in. Staff use this information to plan an appropriate curriculum that they typically teach well. There is clear intent for what staff want all children to learn in time for the next age-phase room transition and eventual move on to school. Generally, staff plan activities and experiences tailored to children's interests and next steps. This well-planned curriculum helps all children to progress in all areas of their development. During some group learning for the youngest children, teaching is not consistently highly impactful or purposeful enough. Staff do not always stay focused enough on what it is they want children to learn. This impacts on children's learning opportunities at these times.

Staff incorporate regular musical play and singing into play and activities. This enables children to hear a wide range of vocabulary, including mathematical language, and enhances their creativity. Children have an interest in books. Staff promote stories well, using regular story sessions as a tool for enhancing children's language and literacy skills. However, the delivery of some story sessions means all children do not have full and equal opportunity to engage deeply and participate fully with the stories. For instance, at times, some children listen to stories sat at tables and some children have limited view of the book. Subsequently, these children interact less with the story. Staff encourage children to participate in regular physical activity throughout the day. Children engage in sensory play and use a range of tools. This helps children to develop their motor skills and explore with their senses.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning, typically achieve well in all areas of their development during their time at this nursery. Children gain age- and stage-appropriate skills and knowledge. For example, all children are toilet trained in time for starting school. Children are sociable and confident. They have positive friendships and communicate well with others. For example, children work together on shared tasks, sharing their thoughts and ideas and respecting one another's views.

Children are motivated to join in with activities. Typically, they can attend well in their play and show sustained attention. Children have a positive understanding of healthy lifestyles. For example, they know that they need to look after their teeth, exercise and eat healthy foods.

In the main, children show a secure understanding of mathematics. Younger children count using their fingers, while older children learn to add things together to make a bigger number. Children show pride in their achievements.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for children's positive behaviour. Staff demonstrate highly impactful teaching in regard to helping children understand how to regulate their emotions and express themselves. Children follow routines and instructions excellently. The atmosphere in the nursery is extremely calm and respectful. Children's behaviour is excellent. Staff help children to highly successfully learn to share, take turns and play collaboratively with others from an early age. Leaders monitor children's attendance well. Staff help parents and carers to understand the importance of regular attendance on their child's progress and welfare.

Routines are extremely well embedded. At times of transition in the routine, staff use a wide range of highly effective strategies to help prepare children for what is happening next. For example, they use visual timetables to show children what is happening now and next. Staff use timers to show children how much time they have left before there is a change. Pre-school children take independent responsibility for the environment and resources. They tidy up resources that they have finished playing with without needing a prompt from staff.

Staff are excellent role models for children. They treat children with care and respect. Staff build very deep attachments with their key children. The consistent boundaries set out for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, enable children to have a clear understanding of what is expected. Staff regularly praise children and celebrate what they have achieved on an individual level. Children display excellent manners. For example, they automatically say 'please' and 'thank you' in their interactions with others.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Care practices across the nursery are highly responsive and respectful and individualised to the needs of each child. There is a high emphasis on a continuity of care from home to the nursery. Staff work closely with parents and carers to ensure they adopt the same approaches. This gives children an added sense of safety and security. Staff's interactions with children are extremely warm and nurturing. Staff create well-thought-out spaces in all of the rooms for children to calm down, regulate their emotions, rest or relax. They adapt settling-in sessions to support individual children's needs and circumstances. Staff meticulously plan transitions to the next room for children who find this unsettling to make the transition as smooth as possible for them.

There is a very effective key-person system in place. Staff get to know children and their families extremely well. They consider 'best fit' key people. For example, leaders consider children's needs and preferences when allocating their key persons. Parents comment on how supportive staff are and how well they know their children as individuals. Leaders and staff have a deep understanding of barriers some children face. They use their knowledge to help prevent children from facing further disadvantage. Leaders work collaboratively with other professionals, such as social workers, to ensure children's welfare and wellbeing.

Children receive encouragement as much as possible to be independent. They have opportunities throughout the day to play outdoors in the fresh air in all weathers. In addition, children build an excellent awareness of healthy lifestyles. They develop healthy habits for the future, such as regularly exercising and positive dental hygiene.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

There is an effective and proactive leadership team in place that has made a number of changes and improvements since the last inspection. Leaders demonstrate a commitment to continually improving and providing quality care and education. Leaders carefully monitor staff practice. They accurately identify what works well and what needs to be improved. The sharp attention to detail regarding the professional development of staff has enhanced the consistency in the teaching and support children receive across the setting.

Leaders have developed more effective partnerships with parents and carers. They work closely with families and professionals involved with children who are particularly disadvantaged, such as early help workers. Leaders use additional funding very well to ensure all children can achieve their best outcomes.

It was identified during the inspection that there had been a previous breach in requirements in relation to food and drink that the provider had not notified Ofsted of. Despite this, the provider has since reflected upon this and has taken appropriate steps to address previous weaknesses. All leaders and staff are now clear and consistently implement the policies in place for managing children's dietary needs.

Staff morale is high. Staff value the support they receive from leaders and external partners, such as the local authority. They comment on how the professional development opportunities they receive and increased supervision sessions are positively influencing their practice. Leaders regularly network with others to share good practice and maintain an oversight of the communities they serve.