Kids Planet Horsham

Inclusion: Expected standard

Staff with lead responsibility for inclusion are dedicated. They understand the importance of working together with parents and carers, other staff and a range of external professionals. They identify children who may face barriers to their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, swiftly. This helps individual children to be recognised, supported and prompt steps to be taken to seek additional and specialised support if needed. These children benefit from tailored plans, which support them to make the best progress they are capable of. Staff positively consider any adaptations children need and put them into place, such as ensuring that any specialist equipment children may need is sought and readily available.

Lead staff advocate for children and their families, ensuring that parents receive continued support, guidance and advice. For example, staff sensitively support parents through any referral processes, as well as helping them to consider school places that will best support their children. Staff proactively seek additional and ongoing training to support their lead roles, as well as general practice. For instance, staff have recently completed Makaton training, which leaders are supporting them to embed within everyday practice to provide all children with alternative ways to communicate.

Leaders act with integrity as they seek any additional funding that can be claimed and used to support children. They have appropriate monitoring processes in place to ensure any additional funds are best spent to positively impact the child.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders demonstrate a clear and generally accurate view of the quality of their curriculum. They spend time in the rooms, which enables them to reflect and identify areas for improvement. For instance, leaders support staff to recognise opportunities to further enhance children's exposure to mathematics and literacy. This is having a positive impact on the delivery of the curriculum and teaching as leaders support and coach staff. As a result, all children typically have access to a broad curriculum that supports their development in all 7 areas of learning.

Staff get to know all children well. They know their interests, unique personalities and achievements as they continually assess children's progress from their starting points. This enables staff to plan a variety of appropriate and motivating activities and to identify what individual children need to learn next. Generally, children benefit from purposeful experiences that build on their communication and physical skills, as well as their personal, social and emotional development. For example, children manipulate dough as they squeeze, roll and pinch it between their fingers. Staff provide encouragement and modelling as some children find rolling their dough more difficult. They narrate their actions and children stop, watch and eagerly copy. Children practise new words linked to their actions, such as 'pushing' and 'rolling flat'. Staff provide purposeful praise, which builds children's confidence and their growing resilience.

On some occasions, staff do not always recognise when some children need further support to engage in activities. During these times, this impacts some children's levels of engagement and the interactions they receive. Staff adapt their interactions dependant on individual children's progress in communication and language. For instance, staff use simple words supported by engaging facial expressions for the youngest children and those who are still developing their spoken language. Older children develop conversational skills as staff model and facilitate back-and-forth discussions. Staff also provide regular opportunities for children to delve into stories and sing familiar songs and rhymes. This supports all children to become confident communicators.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children, including those who face barriers to their learning, typically make good progress from their starting points across all 7 areas of learning and development. They build the knowledge and skills they need for learning. Generally, children become increasingly independent in everyday routines. Young children learn to drink from open cups, and older children get themselves ready to play outside. This helps them to manage their own needs and take responsibility for simple tasks.

Children become increasingly confident communicators. They join in with familiar songs and enjoy listening to stories. Children use a range of words and are increasingly confident to speak to adults as well as other children as they develop early friendships. Over time, children learn to effectively communicate their needs, wants and opinions. This enables all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to develop their self-esteem and confidence in the nursery. Children achieve their next steps in development and are well prepared for their next stage in learning, including moving between rooms and in preparation for starting school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders and staff place an emphasis on children feeling safe and secure to enable them to learn. There is a focus on children's emotional wellbeing, which is supported effectively by the robust key-person arrangements. As a result, children, including those new to the nursery, quickly build warm and nurturing bonds with staff. Children show a positive sense of belonging as they delight in recognising photos of personal significance and sharing these with staff. This enables children to feel safe, settled and valued.

Staff are positive role models and have appropriate expectations of children's behaviour. Overall, they support children to understand rules and boundaries, which in turn supports their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Staff recognise and respond swiftly to children, who they know struggle to understand their emotions. This enables children to learn how to take turns as they begin to understand their own and other's feelings. However, on occasions, some staff do not consistently follow through with their instructions or requests. As a result, sometimes children receive mixed messages, which causes confusion as they learn about the expectations for their behaviour.

Leaders give clear attention to monitoring children's attendance. They work very closely with parents to promote children's attendance and punctuality as fully as possible. This ensures that children access the full range of activities the nursery provides and ultimately helps to prepare children for later transitions to school.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

The relationships that staff develop with children are respectful, warm and caring. Staff promote children's wellbeing and sense of belonging within safe and stimulating play spaces. All children have a sense of belonging and are supported to express their emotions, including those who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Staff personalise care practices to meet the needs of children of all ages, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For instance, staff know each babies' unique weaning stages, milk times and sleep routines. Key persons have an effective understanding of their role. This supports consistency of care and builds secure attachments with children and their families. There are robust procedures in place to support children with dietary requirements or medical needs. This ensures that all staff know how to care for children effectively and safely.

Children receive nutritionally balanced meals and have regular access to the outdoor provision, where they relish being physically active. Leaders support families to understand the importance of oral health and are readily on hand to offer any support and guidance to stay healthy. Generally, there are sequential opportunities for children to develop independence as they grow to learn how to do things for themselves. For example, staff support older children as they learn to wipe their noses. This also supports children as they learn how to keep themselves healthy.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders are reflective and passionate about their roles and responsibilities. They have a secure knowledge of the nursery's context and of the families and children who attend with a clear vision for the nursery. Leaders have identified areas of strength and what they would like to improve further since acquiring the nursery last year. Leaders are hands on and provide daily support, coaching and mentoring to continually improve aspects of the curriculum and experiences for all children. Leaders ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities. This includes well-thought-out inductions for new recruits, regular and effective staff supervision sessions and ongoing training opportunities to continually support staff's personal effectiveness. Leaders place a strong emphasis on their staff's wellbeing, recognising the fundamental part they play in the success of the nursery.

Leaders are ambitious for all children and understand the vital role they play in families' lives. Parental partnership is a key strength at this nursery, with effective methods to promote a continuous two-way flow of information sharing that positively impacts on children. Parents and carers are highly complimentary of the care and learning their children, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, receive. Parents particularly appreciate the staff team. They report their children make progress that they contribute to the nursery, particularly in their language development and increased self-confidence.