Kids Planet Hoghton House

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders and staff make effective use of assessment. They check the development and progress of every child regularly. For instance, they gather pertinent information from parents and carers when a child starts nursery and at regular intervals. Staff use this information well to put clear next steps in place for children, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders and staff have high expectations of children with SEND. They make sure that every child experiences success in their learning. Leaders make effective links with external early years experts, including social workers, to ensure that children receive the right support. Leaders and staff make the best use of advice from external agencies. For instance, staff carefully implement guidance to adapt learning activities to suit the needs of disadvantaged children and those with SEND. Leaders check the impact this support has on reducing barriers to learning well.

Leaders adopt a strategic approach to the use of additional funding for disadvantaged children. For instance, they provide access to activities, such as 'Zoo Lab', to learn about the care of animals. This promotes children's personal development well. Leaders ensure that staff receive high-quality training to support their understanding of checking children's learning and development. Staff fully understand the importance of regularly reviewing how well children progress in their learning. They make effective and important links with parents to share learning. This helps parents to support children's learning at home.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders hold a clear understanding of the quality of the curriculum they provide. They observe the practice of staff to identify where improvement is needed. Staff harness children's understanding of and interests in stories well. They encourage children to make links between stories and other areas of learning. For instance, staff provide follow-up activities from a story about a brown bear to develop children's understanding of the language of colour. This builds well on children's previous learning.

Staff actively promote children's engagement in being physically active, both indoors and outdoors. Children squeal with delight as they use their leg muscles to race their friends on the outdoor nursery trikes. This promotes children's core strength and coordination. In turn, this supports children's confidence in developing relationships with their peers.

Leaders make certain that staff check what all children already know and can do at the beginning of their nursery journey. Staff gather important information from their observations of children and use this well to plan next steps for children. Leaders and staff carefully assess the needs of disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They tailor and adapt teaching to ensure that children learn the curriculum well. For example, staff modify or simplify their use of language to support children who are not yet using words.

Generally, leaders have crafted a generally well-thought-out curriculum that covers all the areas of learning. Staff working with older children support their knowledge of mathematics very well. Staff working with babies have not implemented a clear curriculum for mathematics. Although staff sing some number rhymes, these occasions are incidental and do not explicitly and deliberately teach planned early mathematical concepts to babies. This does not build babies' curiosity and confidence for mathematics.

Achievement: Expected standard

Babies and children quickly develop secure knowledge of how to communicate well. For example, babies learn to use facial expressions and pointing. Older children are articulate and confident in using language. This helps them to make social connections with others. Babies' achievement in mathematics could be better. They do not learn important concepts about mathematics. This impacts on their confidence and knowledge about early mathematics.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities experience success in their learning. They learn how to use the nursery's visual timetables to help them understand what is happening now and next.

Two-year-olds know what a risk to them might be. For example, they know that they need to be sensible when using the nursery stairs. They have a secure understanding of how to keep safe and hold on tightly to the banister.

Children ably complete tasks for themselves, learn how to make and keep friends and develop sufficiently well in their physical skills. This helps them to be well prepared for their move to older rooms in the nursery and later to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Staff get to know babies and children well by giving their full attention to them. They forge positive relationships with the families of children. These thoughtful approaches to developing relationships supports children to develop feelings of security and increased confidence. Leaders provide well-thought-out settling-in sessions to meet the individual needs of children, including disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps children and families to settle well into nursery life.

Children behave sensibly. Leaders and staff role model how to behave. From the very start, staff teach babies how to be kind to their friends. They stroke babies' hands and use the word 'gentle', when teaching babies not to snatch toys. Older children ably recall the nursery rules for how to behave. Staff remind children at the start of the day about the behaviour expectations. Children as young as 2 easily recall that they must say please and thank you, put their used tissues in the bin and use their walking feet when indoors. They relish reminding staff that they know how to behave.

Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance at nursery with parents and carers. They share important findings with parents about how children achieve well and make much progress when they attend regularly. This promotes a positive attitude to learning and prepares children well for school and life ahead.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders make certain that children's wellbeing is a priority. They ensure that staff build caring relationships with children and babies well. Staff greet children in the morning with smiles and comfort them should they become upset. Children learn to manage their emotions well and can request physical reassurances from staff, supporting their self-regulation effectively.

Staff make sure that children access the nursery outdoor garden daily. They provide meaningful and exciting physical play opportunities for children to be active. Children relish the opportunity to use up all their energy when playing outdoors. Staff teach them that being active is part of a healthy lifestyle.

Staff make sure their hygiene practices are robust and clean. Nappy changing routines are respectful and treat each child with dignity. Staff explain to less-confident children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, what is happening. Staff skilfully use intimate care routines to build trust with children.

Leaders provide a healthy balanced diet for children. For example, they provide fruits and vegetables for snacks and freshly prepared meals, which children thoroughly enjoy. Staff demonstrate clear understanding of babies who are weaning and provide carefully blended fresh foods for them.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders provide regular supervisions for staff. They consider staff's wellbeing and workload well and ensure they have a manageable work-life balance. Leaders provide training and coaching for staff that supports and improves their work with children. Leaders provide feedback to staff to help them to understand what they need to do to get better in their role.

Leaders have a clear view of the strengths and areas for improvement in the nursery. For example, following a recent recruitment drive, they have employed several new staff to the pre-school room. They have rightly focused their training and guidance on staff settling into their new roles. Experienced staff receive training and coaching from leaders that is tailored well to their individual learning needs. This has a positive impact on staff's attitude towards their work with children. They generally develop a clear understanding of how children develop and learn.

Leaders ensure that parents and carers are fully involved in their children's learning. For instance, they provide parent's evening and regular catch ups with staff to help them understand what their children are learning. They provide useful take home packs for parents to support their children's learning at home.

Leaders use their knowledge about gaps in, or barriers to, children's learning to inform their decisions about how they use additional funding. For example, they purchase resources to support children's physical, social and emotional development. This helps children to enjoy their learning and make progress from their starting points. Leaders have not kept a close enough check on the delivery of the mathematics curriculum for babies. This means that staff have not successfully implemented learning and development for babies in this area of learning as well as they could. Leadership would be strengthened by enabling staff working with babies to deliver the curriculum for mathematics effectively for babies.