Jumping Jacks Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have appropriate systems in place to support effectively children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those children with additional barriers to learning. For example, they proactively work with parents and professionals to identify and support the children's needs through individual target plans. Targets are regularly reviewed and adapted according to the progress that children make. Children's progress is tracked closely to assess whether any additional support is required. This enables an inclusive environment to support all children to be able to achieve and be typically successful in their learning.

Leaders use funding effectively to provide suitable resources, additional staff and relevant training from external professionals. For example, staff have received training in sign language. This supports children's communication and confidence and has raised the quality of SEND support provided by staff.

Staff are knowledgeable and know how to meet children's needs. Learning activities are suitably adapted to ensure equal opportunities for all children. For example, staff use simple language to help children with emerging communication skills take part fully in activities. The nursery demonstrates a clear commitment to creating an inclusive environment for all children to be successful on their personal learning journey.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff have awareness of what they would like children to know and be able to do by the time they leave the nursery. Leaders and staff identify gaps in children's learning. They use this to plan learning so that children build their skills and knowledge in sequence over time. There is a focus on children's mathematical language, which is skilfully woven into activities. For example, staff teach children about size; they compare the size of different animals and count the seconds it takes to crush sensory food items. Staff develop children's love of stories through sharing books with one another. This supports children's communication skills. Staff encourage a love of books by reading stories with children. They repeat new words for younger children to increase their familiarity with new vocabulary. They extend older children's vocabulary through discussion, checking their understanding of what is being read. This supports children's communication skills.

Leaders design a broad curriculum that covers all 7 areas of learning. However, staff do not consistently use children's interests when planning and teaching, meaning that children's learning is not always extended. Children develop their physical skills as they thread beads to make bracelets. They show pride as they display them on their wrists and are praised for their efforts. Staff use interactions to support learning. However, they do not consistently utilise questioning to extend learning further.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children typically make positive progress, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning. Purposeful next steps are set for each individual child. This means that they receive targeted support and experiences that help them build on what they already know and can do. Children develop confidence through everyday routines. For example, children serve themselves lunch using tongs and carry their plates to the table. However, staff do not consistently adapt resources and opportunities at mealtimes to maximise children's independence further.

Children benefit from a focus on physical development. Younger children strengthen the small muscles in their hands, fingers and wrists as they squeeze and crush cereal. Older children further develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they use scissors to cut tissue paper and hold pencils to create and decorate colourful elephant pictures. Children are supported for their next stages in learning. They receive thorough transitions from room to room and to school. This supports them to settle quickly and continue their learning when they move on.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children have positive attitudes towards their learning and are typically keen to engage in activities. Generally, children follow well-embedded routines that they understand, and this helps the day remain calm and run smoothly. For example, children know to wash their hands before and after meals and wait politely for all children to sit down before eating.

Children build trusting relationships with their key person and show their trust as they enjoy playing and conversating with them. Staff develop children's behaviours through providing opportunities to develop responsibility. For example, children are assigned important roles, including the 'snack monitor'. This encourages children to develop an understanding of shared responsibility and enables them to actively support their peers. However, staff do not consistently provide and adapt opportunities for children to develop independence at mealtimes.

Leaders and staff maintain high expectations for children's behaviour, helping children to behave well. This is further supported by staff, who are positive role models to children. Staff regularly use praise to commend children's efforts and participation. Children enjoy playing collaboratively with each other. For example, they play happily in the role-play area as they decide what food to make. Staff join in with these interactions as they model creative play. Leaders promote the importance of regular nursery attendance with parents effectively. They highlight the significant role attending nursery regularly plays in supporting children's development.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a welcoming, safe environment, where every child feels valued, included and happy. They support staff to implement suitable routines and choices that promote healthy lifestyles. For example, leaders and staff provide well-balanced and nutritious meals for children. Children make healthy choices when selecting fruit for their snack. Staff support children's knowledge as they discuss the different types of fruit. Children eat healthy, freshly-cooked meals.

Mealtimes are used to develop children's social skills, as staff interact with children and make conversation about the food the children are eating and their preferences. Leaders share and make available their policies to ensure that these are well understood and implemented by staff. As a result, procedures are followed consistently, promoting the safety and wellbeing of all children.

Staff promote healthy habits as they embed hygiene practices into daily routines. For example, children wash their hands before and after eating. Children demonstrate a keen understanding of the importance of oral health. Staff consistently support and extend this knowledge by teaching effective tooth brushing techniques. Children further reinforce their learning through practical experiences, such as brushing model teeth and applying toothpaste correctly, helping them to develop positive oral hygiene habits.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders know the children and families they care for well. Leaders regularly monitor and review curriculum developments through children's progress and assessments to ensure that provision continues to meet children's needs effectively. Leaders place a high priority on staff's development and wellbeing.

Through staff supervision sessions, leaders provide regular access to training to ensure that staff have equal development opportunities. However, they do not consistently support staff to apply this learning in practice, particularly in using children's interests to guide learning and extend children's thinking through questioning. As a result, opportunities to deepen children's learning are not consistently maximised. Effective succession planning is in place, with leaders proactively managing arrangements for leadership cover to maintain stability and continuity. Leaders work collaboratively with external professionals to ensure that targeted support is in place for children who require it. They use funding appropriately and to support children's individual needs and promote positive outcomes. This includes for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have additional barriers to learning.

Leaders have established a clear vision centred on children's safety, happiness and achievement, which is well understood and embraced by staff. Leaders value children's views. For example, older children are part of the nursery 'committee', where children can voice their opinions and make suggestions for improvements. Effective partnerships with parents and carers have a positive impact. Parents say they could not be happier with the nursery. They comment that they have seen their child's progress and development increase since starting and they would recommend this nursery to others.