Kids Planet Sandbach Montessori

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff place inclusion firmly at the heart of their work. They identify needs early and work closely with families and other professionals to build a clear understanding of children's strengths, needs and next steps. This includes sensitive support during significant life events and effective engagement with external agencies where needed. Provision is well tailored and highly responsive, adapting as children's needs evolve. As a result, barriers to learning and wellbeing are reduced effectively, and children make secure and consistent progress from their starting points.

Additional funding is used strategically to improve outcomes and reduce barriers to participation. Leaders consider carefully how funding can be used to strengthen children's engagement. For example, some children attend sessions such as 'Pop Cats' to develop confidence and communication skills. Others benefit from thoughtfully selected resources, including weighted cushions designed around children's interests, which support emotional regulation and sustained engagement. This enables children to take part fully in the curriculum.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive timely and effective support. Staff have a secure understanding of children's strengths, needs and next steps, and adapt their practice consistently well. Children who speak English as an additional language are supported effectively through visual strategies, predictable routines and clear communication. Staff routinely review and refine their approaches to ensure support remains inclusive and impactful.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that supports children's development across all areas of learning. They place clear emphasis on communication and language, personal, social and emotional development, and physical development. Staff have a secure understanding of what children need to learn next and use this consistently to shape purposeful experiences that build effectively on prior knowledge.

Teaching is highly effective and responsive. Staff know children extremely well and use interactions skilfully to extend learning. They introduce rich vocabulary, encourage children to articulate their thinking and provide time for thoughtful responses. As a result, children communicate their ideas and feelings with confidence. Mathematical understanding is developed effectively through meaningful experiences. The introduction of a structured 'work cycle' enables children to build securely on what they already know. For example, children use tools such as hammers and nails to strengthen small muscles before creating increasingly complex patterns, including geometric shapes. Children sustain concentration, persevere when challenged and take pride in their achievements, developing well-controlled fine motor skills alongside their understanding of shape and pattern.

Leaders place a high priority on children's physical development. Children benefit from frequent, well-planned opportunities to develop coordination, balance and control. For example, during a 'bear hunt' activity, children explore textures as they practise balancing, hopping and moving in different ways. Staff thoughtfully prompt children to describe their experiences, enhancing both their physical development and communication.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children achieve well from their individual starting points. Babies recall familiar routines and expectations, while older children demonstrate increasing responsibility through daily tasks and routines. Children develop the knowledge, skills and positive attitudes needed for their future success and the next stage of learning.

Children demonstrate well-developed communication and language skills. They confidently share experiences, express ideas and engage in meaningful conversations with adults and their peers. Staff provide time for children to think, respond and contribute, supporting them to become assured and capable communicators.

Children show high levels of curiosity, perseverance and developing problem-solving skills. They sustain concentration, collaborate effectively and approach challenges with confidence. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who speak English as an additional language and those who face barriers to learning or wellbeing are supported effectively to achieve well. As a result, children are well prepared for transitions and their next stage of learning.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, follow routines confidently and understand what is expected of them. Transitions are highly effective. Children move smoothly between activities and daily routines with confidence and independence. Babies begin to recognise familiar expectations, while older children take increasing responsibility as they move through the nursery. Well-established routines ensure children feel secure and ready to learn. For example, children clearly explain the purpose of the yellow line across the nursery, understanding how it helps them stop, wait and move safely between areas. This ensures transitions run efficiently and minimise disruption to learning.

Children demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning. They sustain concentration, persevere with challenge and take pride in their achievements. Children show consideration for others, take turns and cooperate well during activities. Staff support children effectively to recognise and express their feelings and develop strategies to manage their emotions. Leaders have identified this as an area to develop further and have introduced emotion coaching to strengthen children's self-regulation.

Leaders promote the importance of regular attendance and punctuality and work closely with families where support is needed. This ensures children access learning consistently and build securely on what they already know and can do.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning or wellbeing, experience consistently high-quality care that promotes their welfare and emotional wellbeing. They form warm, secure relationships with staff, who know them extremely well and respond sensitively to their individual needs. This helps children feel safe, secure and deeply valued. Children confidently seek comfort and reassurance from trusted adults. For example, younger children independently approach staff and ask for a 'cuddle please' when they need support. Staff respond warmly and attentively, supporting children to feel emotionally secure and develop confidence and resilience.

Healthy lifestyles are promoted effectively through meaningful experiences and strong engagement with families. Children develop a clear understanding of healthy eating and make connections between their learning at nursery and at home. For example, ingredients are shared with families to support cooking at home, reinforcing children's learning and encouraging healthy choices. Children take part in regular toothbrushing routines. Leaders provide resources and guidance to families, helping them to sustain good oral health practices beyond the nursery.

Children develop a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe and make responsible choices. They confidently explain expectations and apply these consistently during play and routines. Children also develop a clear awareness of sustainability and caring for the environment. For example, they use the nursery's 'happy' and 'sad' bins to sort waste and explain the importance of recycling. This helps children understand how their actions contribute positively to the wider world

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are ambitious for all children and have a clear and accurate understanding of the nursery's strengths and priorities. They reflect thoughtfully on practice and take decisive action to secure improvement. For example, recognising the need to support less experienced staff, leaders introduced a buddy system that has strengthened staff confidence, knowledge and day-to-day practice. Professional learning is used strategically to develop expertise and enhance the quality of children's experiences.

Leaders foster a positive and supportive culture where staff feel valued. Regular communication, clear guidance and meaningful opportunities for reflection support staff wellbeing and help manage workload effectively. Staff work collaboratively and take shared responsibility for meeting children's individual needs.

Partnerships with parents, professionals and the wider community are well established and used effectively to support children's development. Parents receive regular, meaningful information about their children's experiences and are supported to continue learning at home. Community links enrich the curriculum and broaden children's understanding of the world.

Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to children's safety and wellbeing. They understand their responsibilities and act promptly when concerns arise. For example, following an accident, leaders notified Ofsted and carried out a thorough review of practice. Risk assessments were strengthened and further staff training introduced to reduce potential risks. This reflects leaders' proactive approach to improvement and their focus on maintaining a safe, secure environment for all children.