Kids Planet Lenton

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders are passionate about providing an inclusive setting which effectively supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to their learning. Leaders and staff are responsive to children's needs. This includes putting early intervention and targeted support in place to help children progress overall. Staff work in partnership with parents and external agencies to secure additional support for children.

Leaders and staff use additional funding effectively to provide tailored support to help narrow gaps in learning. For example, staff provide one-to-one support to help children emotionally during times of change and to engage at mealtimes. The impact of this is carefully monitored through observations to review the progress children are making.

Staff adapt their interactions to meet the individual needs of some children. For example, staff use signs and pictures to support children's understanding. Staff support children who speak English as an additional language well. For instance, they gather key words in children's home language from parents and use this to communicate with children. This helps children to have a sense of belonging in the setting and to understand what is happening around them.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff provide a range of activities that capture children's interests. This results in children being motivated to take part and learn. For example, they giggle as they dip cars in paint and make marks on paper. While children play, staff skilfully weave in mathematical concepts, such as introducing words to describe size and numbers, as children explore building on their number knowledge. Staff provide experiences for children to develop their hand-eye coordination. For example, they support babies to scoop and pour with sand. Toddlers explore using different shape cutters as they use dough. Staff offer older children resources to use smaller resources to create masks.

Generally, leaders develop a curriculum that supports children's learning through their interests. Staff closely monitor the progress that children make, using observations and assessments to identify what they need to learn next. However, occasionally, staff do not fully identify precise next steps in learning for some children to work towards. This results in, sometimes, children not being challenged enough in their learning and development. That said, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities develop new skills, such as tipping and pouring. This helps to build on what they already know and can do.

Achievement: Expected standard

Typically, children make steady progress from their starting points in learning. This includes those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pre-school children focus and concentrate when they listen to stories. Toddlers join in singing rhyming songs and move their bodies to the tune. Furthermore, pre-school children hold meaningful conversations with staff. They talk confidently about previous experiences, such as visiting a dentist. This contributes to supporting children's communication and literacy skills. Children who speak English as an additional language hear words in their home language. This helps them to develop an understanding of daily routines. As a result, children generally make expected progress and are suitably prepared for their next stage of learning, including the transition into school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Typically, leaders and staff have clear expectations for children's behaviour. Children know what is expected of them. They show kindness towards others and behave well. For example, children hand out aprons when others join them at a painting activity. Staff are positive role models through their interactions. They support children to share when needed and offer praise when they take turns or patiently wait for their turn. Staff appropriately adapt their interactions to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those whose face barriers to learning. For example, they use simple language and visual gestures when giving children instructions.

Children willingly take part in routines, for instance, young children sing songs and dance as they wait their turn to wash their hands for meals. Staff are flexible to adapting the routine. This contributes to providing children with opportunities to be more fully engaged in their learning.

Staff maintain registers to monitor children's attendance. If children do not attend when expected, contact is made with parents and carers to find out the reasons why. This helps to promote children's welfare.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and staff provide a warm and welcoming environment. Staff develop positive relationships with children, including those who face barriers to their learning. This results in children settling into their environment quickly and positively engaging in learning. Staff know the children well and follow individual care routines, including mealtimes, personal care and sleep routines. Mealtimes are social occasions where children sit alongside their friends and staff, engaging in meaningful conversations. Staff use these opportunities to extend children's knowledge of the benefits of the nutritious food offered. Children are provided with a range of healthy meals with systems in place to ensure individual dietary needs and intolerances are met. Staff gather information from parents and carers about young children's weaning preferences. This contributes to meeting their individual care needs. Overall, staff support children's independence well. However, this is not consistently implemented effectively by all staff. For example, during some daily routines, such as mealtimes, not all children are encouraged to complete tasks they are capable of doing themselves.

Leaders generally ensure that practices and policies within the setting contribute to children's wellbeing and welfare. Staff have recently undertaken training to refresh their knowledge of risk assessments and minimise any risks for children within the environment.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders and staff build positive and engaging relationships with parents and carers. This helps to creates a collaborative approach to children's learning and care needs. For example, staff gather information from parents about children's individual needs. They keep parents informed about what their children are learning and the progress they make. Staff offer parents advice about how they can continue to support their children's learning at home. This includes borrowing books to share with their children to help them develop a love of stories.

Staff help children to learn about people who help them in the community. For example, they take children to visit a hospital. This contributes to children's knowledge of people who help them. Additionally, staff take children to visit local parks to gather natural resources and to feed ducks. This contributes to developing children's understanding of nature and animals.

Leaders support staff's practice and wellbeing. For instance, they invite staff to attend supervision meetings to reflect on their practice. Leaders observe staff's practice and give them feedback to help improve their interactions with children. Staff are supported to build on their professional development. They have opportunities to complete in-house training. This helps some staff to develop their knowledge of how to plan activities to develop children's interests.

Leaders and staff work in partnership with school teachers. This is managed well to support parents and children to be emotionally ready for the changes they will face. Additionally, staff work in partnership with other professionals to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps to provide a tailored approach to their care and learning.

Leaders reflect on the experiences they offer children. Although, they do not identify where staff can support children more precisely with their next steps in learning and to provide a consistent approach to supporting children's independence.