Ladybirds@Meadow View

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders understand their responsibilities to act on any concerns about children's learning. Those with lead roles for supporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are experienced and knowledgeable. Staff and leaders work effectively with other professionals and parents to ensure there is a joined-up approach to meeting the needs of children with SEND. Staff use different assessments well to review children's progress and to identify areas that need further support.

Staff and leaders know and support children's individual needs effectively. They complete relevant training to help them to identify and respond to children's learning needs. Leaders use additional funding to provide higher levels of staffing to support children. This means that children receive individual support and interactions to help them progress. Leaders identify additional future training for staff, particularly linked to the needs of children receiving one-to-one support.

Staff typically use adaptations to support individual children. Some staff confidently use signing with all children to support communication and inclusion securely. Leaders are currently developing a room which offers a quiet space, particularly for children with SEND and to meet with professionals. They plan to increase the resources for this room and tailor these to children's individual needs. Leaders recognise children's individual backgrounds, including other languages spoken at home. They offer dual-language books for parents to use at home. This helps children to become familiar with books in both their home languages and English.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum covering all areas of learning with a focus on developing children's language skills and independence. Leaders identify future improvements to support children's learning, including offering a book library to all children, to help encourage reading and learning at home. Staff complete regular observations and assessments and identify children's next steps in learning, along with any gaps in learning. Staff share this information with parents to promote a consistent approach. Leaders monitor children's progress and identify any areas of the curriculum that need more focused support. Staff understand how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language. They adapt their teaching to support these children while enabling them to access all learning experiences. For instance, staff use visual pictures to help communication and support children's understanding.

Staff typically engage with children with enthusiasm. They encourage children to explore planned activities. For example, babies use their physical skills to stir and scoop water using different-sized utensils. This helps children to develop their hand-eye coordination. Staff support children to recognise their feelings and emotions. For instance, children create 'scary' and 'happy' faces during forest school activities.

Staff promote children's love of books through reading to them regularly. They talk to children during activities. Sometimes, staff do not extend conversations with children to provide more information to them, such as to promote children's understanding of the world and awareness of healthy lifestyles. Staff typically promote children's mathematical understanding securely, including mathematical concepts and language. For example, staff put words to actions when babies jump in and out of a circle. Staff encourage older children to count and put numbers in order during routines and activities, such as counting before starting to sing a song.

Achievement: Expected standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language, typically progress well, with some making even better progress from their starting points. Children gain skills and knowledge for their next stage of learning. They typically engage in activities well and learn to concentrate and listen. Children develop a love of books and many happily sit and look at books by themselves. They enjoy being read to individually and in groups. Toddlers show they know familiar songs, including the actions and words. Children develop their independence securely. Babies learn to feed themselves using cutlery and toddlers and pre-school children use tongs to serve their healthy snacks. Children are given time by staff to do tasks, such as change their shoes when they go outside to play. They build on their small and large physical skills. For example, babies twist and turn exploratory toys with their hands and they learn to manage steps in the garden. Older children develop their balance and coordination walking along a row of blocks with and without staffs' support.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have created a safe, warm, welcoming environment for children and their families. They promote the importance of children's regular and punctual attendance with procedures to follow up any unknown absences or ongoing lateness. Children arrive keen to play and learn. They happily leave their parents on arrival and quickly engage in play and activities. Children demonstrate that they feel very at ease with staff. They form friendships with other children and willingly help others, such as when changing their shoes after being outside.

Children typically follow the daily routines and instructions easily, such as times they need to line up or wash their hands. Staff remind children about the behaviour expectations, such as being gentle with others. They show babies what this means by getting down to their level and gently stroking their arms alongside the words. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities take part in small group activities which help them to practise sharing and turn-taking. Staff generally help children to recognise how to stay safe, including reminders to walk indoors and about the safe use of cutlery. Occasionally, staff do not guide younger children in turn-taking and safety, such as when several children climb on low-level equipment together. Children typically play and cooperate well together. For example, babies enjoy parachute games with staff as a group and pre-school children construct a large wooden structure together.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Children build trusting relationships with the kind and caring staff, helping them to feel safe and secure. Staff gain useful information when children start, including babies' home routines for sleeping and their feeding needs. This helps staff to provide home-from-home, familiar care and routines for babies.

Leaders recognise the importance of working with parents about their children's care needs. They, and staff, promote a consistent approach with parents about nappy changing and toilet training. They recognise the importance of supporting toilet training, including offering advice and guidance. Children typically develop their self-care skills and personal independence well. They learn to use tissues and staff guide toddlers to put these in the bin. Older children confidently visit the toilet by themselves and learn to wash their hands.

Staff and leaders provide healthy snacks to children, such as a selection of fruit. Leaders encourage parents to provide healthy packed lunches for their children and a home-cooked nursery lunch option is available. At times, staff do not consistently build on children's awareness of healthy lifestyles, such as healthy eating or reasons for good hygiene, to increase children's understanding of these. Staff encourage children's awareness of feelings and emotions to help them learn to recognise and manage these. Staff caring for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities understand the importance of helping them to gain self-regulation skills to support them to manage their feelings and responses.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders identify plans for improvement, including developing staffs' practice and further learning opportunities for children. For example, leaders recognise that some staff need more training and professional development to help develop their practice. They identify ideas to further improve outdoor learning experiences for children and have begun developing a sensory area and outdoor classroom for children, with forest school qualified staff leading this. Staff feel well supported with their workload and wellbeing. They receive regular, individual meetings to review their work and identify their training and professional development needs. Staff typically complete relevant training, including gaining qualifications.

Leaders and staff work significantly well with parents and other professionals, which helps to support and meet children's needs. Staff provide ongoing feedback to parents about their children, including the activities children enjoy, care needs and their learning and development. Parents typically speak highly about their experiences of the nursery and the support they and their children receive. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities in particular highlight the high level of support and guidance they receive from leaders and staff. Parents comment positively about the parenting group the nursery organises and how supportive this is to them.