Jigsaw Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders are reflective in their approach to inclusion. For example, they recently updated processes for gathering children's development information upon starting nursery, to gain a clearer understanding of this. Following children joining the nursery, practitioners use assessments of children, including of their speech and language development, to enable them to identify where progress is not typical and further support is needed. Assessment information is promptly shared with children's parents and carers, to ensure a joined-up approach and that children are receiving the same consistent messages. Leaders also reflect on the ways in which any additional funding is spent to make sure that it is supportive of children making progress. This approach ensures that all children make progress from their starting points.

Leaders recognise where children may face barriers in their learning. They work collaboratively with parents, sensitively offering advice and support to ensure that all children reach their full potential. Leaders have a thorough understanding of services available locally for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and use the advice from different agencies to support their practice with children and their families. As a result, parents feel supported to continue their children's learning at home.

Practitioners typically make a positive difference to the experiences of children who face barriers to their learning. However, the youngest children do not always have their attention sustained at times when children join together. While leaders do often intervene, not all practitioners recognise how to adapt their practice to consistently ensure that teaching and interactions are supportive of children's changing needs.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is broad and varied, with clear expectations for what they want babies and children to learn. Practitioners use assessments well to ensure that children's next steps in learning are accurate. This supports all children to make progress in their development. Practitioners working with babies focus on building strong relationships with their key children, to support children's personal, social and emotional development and enable them to feel secure in the setting. This is supportive of wider learning and development.

The team promotes a love of books, and the children have recently been reading 'The Three Little Pigs'. Practitioners consider opportunities for children to recall stories across a range of activities. As a result, children choose to look at books independently, or ask practitioners to read to them in the outdoor library. Children are familiar with the way stories are structured, making up their own fairy tale together. Leaders ensure that there is a clear focus on children's communication and language. Practitioners introduce new vocabulary in meaningful contexts for children to understand, such as 'invisible'. As a result, children are confident communicators and are able to explain their thinking, for example, 'The pig is sad because the wolf is going to eat him.'

Practitioners ensure that early mathematics is taught explicitly. Children enjoy playing games such as 'What time is it, Mister Wolf?', which promotes their enjoyment of number. Children are typically given opportunities to develop mathematical concepts throughout the routine. However, practitioners do not consistently recognise opportunities to promote further learning and development. For example, while some staff count as children scoop their lunch or use positional language, such as 'behind', when children queue up, this is not consistent across the whole team.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children make progress from their starting points, including those with identified barriers to their learning. The youngest children and babies build warm bonds with their key people that help them to feel secure. This supports their confidence and enables them to explore the environment and develop wider skills. Babies benefit from spending times of the day with older children, such as lunchtimes, where the children eat together. This supports children to become familiar with the wider team, children and setting, preparing them for when they transition through the nursery.

Children are suitably prepared for their next stages in learning. For example, older children demonstrate growing independence and self-help skills, such as when putting on their own coats, taking off their shoes and scooping extra food at lunchtime. They are confident communicators, who are able to engage well with practitioners and visitors.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Practitioners are positive role models for children, talking to and treating one another with respect. They recognise the importance of key-person bonds in supporting children's relationships. This secure base supports children to form positive bonds with one another. As a result, children collaborate and seek each other out to play games together. Practitioners use specific praise with children, which effectively reinforces their positive behaviour. For example, practitioners praise children when they show care and consideration for animals in the garden. A child moves a ladybird away from other insects, and practitioners sensitively introduce the word 'protect' and call the child 'kind'. This enables children to understand which behaviours to repeat.

Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance. Leaders ensure that practitioners understand the setting's procedure around non-attendance and follow this up in a timely manner. This keeps children safe and supports their preparation for school.

Children understand the routine of the setting well and know what is expected of them. For example, they know where to line up and patiently wait to get their coats on, in preparation for going outside.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders have created a safe, warm environment in which children play with their friends in small groups. Leaders ensure that practitioners are deployed well, which enables them to quickly intervene when children become upset and offer them reassurance. Leaders recognise the importance of consistency for children to help them build up trusting, secure relationships. This helps children form close bonds with their key workers. Typically, key workers are well in tune with the feelings of their key children. They ensure that they are on hand to support them and plan experiences that appeal to their interests. This helps children to feel secure and settled. Practitioners use stories to introduce language around feelings and emotions. This supports children to understand and articulate their own feelings, and the feelings of others.

Leaders ensure that children have daily access to the outdoor space. They enjoy exploring nature, such as by exploring insects or making concoctions in the mud kitchen. Children engage in physical exercise, such as running and balancing on crates. Typically, practitioners support and teach children to keep themselves healthy and make healthy choices. However, children are not consistently given an explanation as to why certain choices are healthy ones. This does not prepare children with the knowledge to enable them to make healthy choices of their own.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

There have been recent changes to the leadership team. Leaders understand the context of their setting well. They have clear action plans in place for areas of development, and prioritise effectively. They always hold children at the centre of their decision-making. For example, leaders have changed their systems for gathering baseline information when children start. As a result, leaders can more accurately identify where progress has been made and where more support is needed. This ensures swift intervention for children and ensures that any gaps in development do not widen.

Leaders have increased security at the setting. As a result, parents report that they feel relaxed and happy, knowing that their children are safe while at the setting. Leaders recognise the importance of working in partnership with parents for the best outcomes for children. Leaders sensitively offer advice and feedback to ensure parents know how they can continue their children's learning at home. Leaders also recognise where additional support may be needed, liaising with external agencies and assisting parents with referrals where required. This ensures a joined-up approach for children, and parents report that they feel well supported by leaders.

Leaders have worked hard to ensure a warm, open culture, where the team feels valued and appreciated. This is supportive of the team's wellbeing. While leaders provide the team with ongoing feedback, professional development planning for practitioners is in its early stages. Leaders recognise that there is scope to provide practitioners with further coaching and support, to ensure consistently high-quality teaching and interactions.