Kingsfield Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders put inclusivity at the heart of their practice. They are fully committed to ensuring all children can learn and play together whenever possible. Leaders, alongside other staff, swiftly and accurately identify children who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who may face other barriers to learning. Leaders are highly effective at working closely with families to gain a deep understanding of what these barriers might be and how they can best support children to enable them to get the most from their time at nursery and achieve well. Leader then put in place strategies and plans that are specific to the needs of individual children, and, where necessary, seek the support of other professionals. The success of these strategies is seen in the significant progress children make and how well gaps in learning close. Leaders closely monitor the impact of support strategies, so that support can be regularly adapted to children's changing needs. Often, strategies are so successful that children need less and less personalised support because they have caught up well with their peers and need minimal adaptations to join in, learn and thrive alongside their peers.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have focused well on developing a secure curriculum that covers all areas of learning and which will give children a wide range of skills and knowledge before they start school. Overall, this is understood by staff and delivered effectively. However, sometimes staff over complicate activities or the learning environment which does not best support children to focus on the main learning intent.

The curriculum for personal, social and emotional development, communication and language and mathematics is taught especially well. Staff teach children a range of explicit skills that develop their independence. For example, children learn how to put on their coats and change their shoes. Staff skillfully support children's language development by modelling words and phrases, reading stories and singing songs, and listening to what children say.

Staff also deliver a well planned programme of small group activities that focus on different aspects of language development, depending on children's current abilities in this area. For example, for some children there is a focus on developing simple sentence structure and for some other children there is a focus on helping them develop a wide range or words they can use to describe how they are feeling. Staff deliver planned activities to support mathematics in ways that children enjoy.

Although the curriculum focuses well overall on what children most need to learn next, this is not the case for the literacy curriculum. For example, staff deliver sessions to all children on the sounds letters make and letter formation, without fully considering if this is what will best prepare all children for their future literacy learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children gain a wide range of useful skills and knowledge in preparation for starting school. They learn to look after their own belongings and become increasingly independent in meeting their own personal care needs. They develop good manners and are able to share and play cooperatively. They learn to talk about things that interest them, to ask questions and to take turns in conversations. They learn about the world around them. For example, children remember what they have been taught about how caterpillars and ladybirds grow and change. Children develop an understanding of story structure and an interest in books. They join in with repeated refrains in favourite stories and enjoy looking at books independently. They develop a suitable range of physical skills, including building their hand-to-eye coordination. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers to their learning make especially high levels of progress from their starting points, especially with their personal and language skills.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children behave typically well for their age. Leaders encourage parents to establish children's regular and prompt attendance at the nursery. This helps ensure children can take part in all the learning opportunities on offer. Leaders also ensure behaviour expectations are commonly well understood by parents. This helps to create a consistent approach to how children learn to manage their feelings and consider the needs of others.

Children include others in their play, which helps create an inclusive and positive environment. When needed, staff put in place specific support to help children understand and cooperate with routines. For example, for some children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, staff use visual timetables to help prepare them for change in activities.

Children are keen to learn. Staff typically promote children's engagement with activities and are positive and encouraging. This ensures that overall, children engage well and develop positive attitudes to learning. However, at times learning experiences are less well matched to children's age and stage of development and therefore at times children are less engaged.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders establish routines and expectations around staff practice that keep children safe and support their well-being. Typically, these are followed by staff. For example, children are closely supervised at mealtimes. However, there are some occasions when staff do not follow these policies fully. This was recognised by leaders, and addressed, during the inspection. Staff meet children's care needs with kindness and dignity. For example, when changing nappies they ensure that while supervision is still close, children also have the privacy to which they are entitled. Staff provide a very cosy and inviting sleep area for children. Their gentle words help settle children and feel reassured on waking.

Staff promote healthy habits for all children. They ensure there are daily opportunities for energetic play. They use mealtimes effectively to teach good manners and to talk to children about making healthy choices around food. Staff teach children the words they need to express their emotions and children learn to stay safe, including around technology. There are warm and trusting relationships between all staff and children and the key person system is used effectively to build on this further. For example, key staff sit and eat with their key children at meal times and use this time to build relationships further.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders put children's best interests at the centre of their decision making. They have extended hours to meet the needs of local families and have developed a curriculum that, typically, focuses on what children most need to learn next. However, leaders are not yet monitoring staff practice precisely enough to focus their support for staff to develop the specific aspects of their practice or teaching that could be enhanced further.

Leaders have built a staff team that feels positive about it's role. Staff enjoy their work. Those working towards gaining qualifications receive the support and time they need to complete assignments and gain qualifications. Staff put into practice well what they have learnt from training. For example, training on speech and language development has led to this becoming a very effective area of practice throughout the nursery.

Leaders work closely and effectively with parents and other professionals. This is especially effective in the work they do to support vulnerable children or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These effective partnerships make a demonstrable difference to the progress and wellbeing of these children. Additional funding is used carefully and precisely, to enhance children's learning and sense of belonging.