Key Steps Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff monitor all children's progress closely. This helps them to identify any emerging gaps in development quickly. They work with parents and other professionals to provide the individual support children need to make the progress they are capable of. For instance, they use strategies to assess children's communication and language development to allow them to provide additional support when needed.

Leaders ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills they need to meet children's needs. Staff access additional training to help them reflect on and develop the environment, so it supports children effectively. They use a range of strategies to help children learn in ways that suit their learning style. For instance, some children benefit from the use of pictures to help them understand routines and feel secure as they understand what is coming next.

Leaders work with staff and parents to ensure that additional funding is directed to the children it is intended for. For example, children have access to a range of books and learning bags that reflect different families and support various developmental stages, such as oral health and toilet training. This helps to raise outcomes for children and close gaps in their development.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for what they want all children to know and learn throughout their time in nursery. Leaders and staff work closely with parents to gather information on children's interests and to build their curriculum around the needs of the children. They offer advice and suggestions to help children develop their knowledge and skills. For example, they have created a school readiness programme that is shared with parents. This helps parents support their children to develop the independence and early skills they need as they prepare to start school.

Leaders build effectively on children's experiences and knowledge by inviting a diverse range of visitors into the nursery. These visitors help to broaden children's understanding of different communities and ways of life, exposing them to experiences they may not encounter in their everyday environment. This supports children to develop respect, curiosity and a positive awareness of the diversity within the wider world. Leaders and staff assess children's progress closely to identify any emerging gaps. Some staff use strategies such as signs and gestures to support younger children who are not yet confident in using language to communicate their needs. These strategies are also shared with parents so they can continue to support communication at home.

Overall, staff engage children well. They encourage children to take part in activities and explore the resources available. However, staff do not always extend children's learning as far as they could. For instance, when staff encourage children to play a number game with numerals and dice, children are keen to join in, but the activity is too basic because children are already confident with the low numbers used. Although children remain focussed, they are not motivated by staff to stretch their mathematics skills further.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those who face barriers to their learning, gain the skills that they need for the next stage of their education. Children demonstrate that they are happy and confident, and develop relationships with their peers and the staff caring for them. Children develop their physical skills well. They enjoy using the resources in the garden as they learn to take risks and develop their coordination and balance. Older children confidently climb and practise how far they can jump. They use bicycles as they ride around the track, avoiding obstacles. Younger children enjoy playing with balls, eagerly practising kicking and throwing. Throughout the nursery, children enjoy listening to and taking part in stories. They join in with familiar stories and demonstrate good listening skills as they sit and focus as staff read to them.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children form warm and trusting relationships with the staff who care for them. Older children build friendships with their peers, while younger children are beginning to follow some routines. Leaders are working with staff to develop further consistency in behaviour management strategies. Staff have completed training on children's behaviour, which on most occasions helps them understand how to respond to situations that arise. They recognise that, due to children's age and stage of development, behaviour can be challenging at times. Staff monitor this closely and look for patterns to help prevent situations from occurring. However, staff do not always take the time to explain routines and expectations to younger children. As a result, children do not always understand what is expected of them or why. For example, staff sometimes pick up and move children away from the table when there is no space, without explaining to the reason for this, which can cause children frustration.

All children demonstrate a positive attitude to learning. They are eager to explore and be involved in activities, and, overall, children follow instructions well. Leaders promote regular attendance and punctuality. They work with families when children struggle with their emotions, adapting sessions where needed so that children can benefit fully from their time in the nursery.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff provide children with a welcoming and well-organised environment where they can explore, play and learn with confidence. They place an emphasis on promoting children's health and wellbeing. Staff implement clear and consistent procedures to teach children about hygiene practices. As a result, children understand the importance of washing their hands before eating and after using the toilet, and older children do this independently.

Leaders promote healthy eating effectively. Children benefit from nutritious meals made with locally sourced ingredients, which supports their understanding of where food comes from. Children enjoy visiting the local market to buy their snack, giving them meaningful opportunities to be involved in making healthy choices and developing their independence. Leaders also share recipe ideas with parents so that children can enjoy familiar meals at home, helping to strengthen the link between nursery and family life.

Children have lots of opportunities to be outdoors and to take part in physical activity. Leaders have invested in developing the outdoor area so that it provides rich and engaging learning experiences. Children climb, run and explore with enthusiasm. The outdoor environment is used purposefully to support all areas of learning, and children benefit from the space, fresh air and freedom to move. This contributes positively to their physical development, confidence and overall wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not maintain effective oversight of all areas of the provision, which results in weaknesses in safeguarding practice. Although there are procedures in place to safeguard children, they are not consistently followed. When staff appropriately identify and report concerns about children's welfare, leaders do not act on these concerns in line with the procedures in a timely manner. Furthermore, leaders have not ensured that their safeguarding policy aligns with the expectations of the local safeguarding partnership, including the specific requirements for safeguarding non-mobile babies.

Although leaders reflect on their practice and make changes to benefit the children, they have not identified the weaknesses to their safeguarding practice and procedures. Despite this, leaders remain ambitious in their aspirations for children's learning and development. Staff report that leaders support them well, both personally and professionally. Leaders provide staff with relevant professional development opportunities that help to strengthen their skills and enable them to meet the needs of the children in their care.

Overall, most parents are happy with the care and support that their children receive. They report that they are well informed about their children's learning and feel included in their child's experiences. Leaders and staff work with other professionals to access support and guidance for children, putting appropriate plans in place to meet children's individual learning needs.