Kids Planet George Eliot

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff demonstrate positive attitudes to inclusion. Leaders develop appropriate systems and procedures that help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), those known, or previously known to social care and those with barriers to their learning, to make steady progress from their starting points. However, occasionally, information is not shared with staff promptly, which limits their understanding of how best to support children through everyday interactions.

Leaders and staff identify children's needs through baseline assessments and by gathering information from parents and carers about their children's development. Leaders model and support staff to develop positive and respectful working relationships with parents. This helps parents to feel empowered and included in every stage of their child's learning.

Leaders use additional funding with children's interests and needs in mind. They collaborate with parents to understand their wishes and priorities for their children. Together, they decide how best to support children's physical and emotional wellbeing. Appropriate use of funding helps reduce barriers to children's learning. For example, leaders and staff choose resources and materials that help children share their interests and motivation with their peers, taking a lead in play.

Leaders and staff work closely with external agencies and other professionals. They contribute to targets and support plans which help children to build their skills and knowledge. Staff skilfully work to support children with SEND to achieve appropriate next steps.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff offer a curriculum that reflects children's interests while introducing purposeful experiences that build early knowledge and skills. The environment supports children in exploring stories, sensory play and practical activities. Staff plan opportunities that promote children's physical development and independence, including pouring drinks, cutting up food and managing personal-care routines, such as handwashing. The curriculum is well designed to cover all areas of learning and has clear intent.

Staff support children's early mathematical understanding through play, such as using water to move a small boat along guttering. Staff also prioritise experiences that strengthen children's fine-motor development, such as using tweezers, tools and squeezing and modelling dough.

High-quality interactions are not consistent across the setting. At times, children engage in experiences that are not effectively sequenced to build on what they already know and can do. For example, older children engage in filling, tipping, and pouring when they could further extend their knowledge and skills as they play with water. Staff do not consistently narrate children's play to model familiar language and introduce new vocabulary to extend children's understanding even further.

On occasion, staff do not pose thoughtful questions or fully extend children's thinking. Leaders have begun to address this through professional development and coaching, and they have a plan of action to embed understanding. However, these approaches are not yet embedded well enough to ensure that all children experience consistently high-quality interactions that enable them to achieve more.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children typically develop knowledge and skills across all areas of learning. They are confident to explore their learning environment and enjoy the play opportunities offered. Children build early mathematical understanding through everyday routines and develop their physical skills through active play, balancing and large movements. Babies develop warm relationships and snuggle into familiar adults for reassurance, which helps them settle into the setting. Children demonstrate feelings of emotional security and wellbeing.

Children who face barriers, including disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from targeted support that helps them take part and make progress. Children are prepared for their next stages of learning with a focus on their attitude to learning and eagerness to build positive relationships with their peers. They develop as confident communicators who are keen to participate in many different opportunities. Consistently high quality interactions with staff members would extend children's achievement even further.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children behave well and show positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to get involved in experiences and play cooperatively with others. For example, older children take turns with magnifying glasses during a bug hunt, inspired by finding a creature in their cosy space. Staff build calm, respectful relationships with children and provide reassurance and physical comfort when children are distressed.

Generally, children respond positively to the daily routines and expectations. However, high-quality interactions are not consistently embedded to support their understanding fully. For example, while some staff use symbols and simple sign language to support children's understanding, this is not implemented securely throughout the setting.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to develop their understanding of expectations. Mealtime routines are secure, and staff ensure that children with SEND are included appropriately to support social behaviours. Leaders understand the importance and positive impact of regular attendance and punctuality on children's learning and development. They work closely with parents and carers to maximise children's access to learning opportunities in ways that reflect their individual needs.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children's care needs are well met. Intimate-care routines promote babies' and children's dignity and privacy across the setting. Staff typically encourage children's self-care and adjust their support appropriately to reflect individual needs. Leaders clearly oversee how the provision supports children's physical and emotional health and wellbeing. For example, they provide resources to promote oral health, not only in the setting but also as a community resource through their 'help bank'. Leaders ensure that children are offered a healthy diet within the setting, and they encourage staff to talk to children about the foods they eat. Children learn about the needs of others and demonstrate understanding of the system for keeping children with allergies safe.

Children's emotional wellbeing is supported through warm relationships and consistent care. Parents and carers value the secure key-person system that the nursery implements. Staff help children to name feelings and develop ways to manage emotions. Leaders and staff also work with families to promote shared learning across the nursery and home. Home-learning bags are a constant source of interest for children and families. This approach helps to nurture a connection between home and nursery, further supporting children's sense of belonging and familiarity.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders clearly understand the nursery's strengths and typically identify areas that would benefit from further support and coaching. They have plans in place to enhance the consistency of high-quality teaching and interactions across the setting. Leaders are ambitious for children and invest in professional development. They use information from observations of staff's practice to inform planned professional development and strengthen the team's knowledge and skills. Leaders also implement peer observations to nurture a culture of reflection across the setting.

Leaders prioritise staff's wellbeing, as they understand this affects their ability to support children effectively. Staff report positive staff meetings and supervision sessions, which help them reflect on their practice.

Leaders work with families and external services to help children who need additional support. They act swiftly to access support for families. This ensures that children's needs are met quickly. Leaders plan resources and staffing suitably. However, on occasion, there is a delay in sharing information promptly with all staff which can impact on effective teaching in the moment. Leaders use extra funding wisely to support disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities to thrive.