Lamberhead Green Headstart

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders have created an inclusive culture in which children's individual needs are identified early and barriers to learning and wellbeing are reduced effectively. Leaders use observations, ongoing discussions with parents and carers and advice from professionals to build a secure understanding of children's needs. They agree support promptly and ensure that it is embedded into everyday practice, so children can participate fully alongside their peers.

Leaders work closely with families and external professionals to coordinate support and help families access additional services when needed. They use additional funding well to reduce practical barriers to attendance and participation. Children known, or previously known, to children's social care benefit from staff who understand their circumstances and provide consistent care and reassurance. As a result, these children feel secure, settle quickly and engage confidently in daily routines.

The shared special educational needs coordinator model is effective. Coordinators remain with the same group of children from entry to transition to school, which provides continuity and strengthens relationships with families. This enables leaders and staff to track children's development over time and respond quickly when needs change. Leaders use a graduated approach to review support regularly and adjust provision in partnership with families and professionals. Consequently, support is timely, well coordinated and responsive, helping children to thrive and make progress alongside their peers.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders understand the quality of the curriculum and teaching extremely well and use this insight to sustain an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum across all areas of learning. They place strong emphasis on children's physical development and personal, social and emotional development as foundations for learning. Routines and experiences are carefully designed to help children develop confidence, self-control and resilience. For example, staff consistently encourage children to assess risks for themselves during play, such as deciding how to climb or balance safely, which builds independence and emotional security.

Staff support children's communication and early mathematical understanding skilfully through play and routines. They plan opportunities where concepts are revisited and deepened over time. For example, children count and compare quantities during water play, explore shape and pattern through painting and develop understanding of measure through repeated sensory experiences. Staff model precise vocabulary, such as 'stretch', 'smooth' and 'heavy', and use it consistently, so children begin to apply this language independently.

Outdoor learning is a significant strength. Staff plan purposeful physical experiences that progressively build children's strength, coordination and control. For instance, children use large equipment, including a seesaw, to practise balancing, negotiating turn-taking and managing frustration. Staff extend learning through thoughtful questioning and encouragement. Regular community walks, including visits to the library, further enrich the curriculum and support children's curiosity and confidence beyond the setting

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make secure and sustained progress from their starting points. They develop confidence, independence and resilience through experiences that allow them to practise and apply their skills throughout the day. Children show they remember what they have learned by responding appropriately in unfamiliar situations. For example, during a fire evacuation, children stop what are doing, listen carefully and follow instructions calmly.

Children's progress in communication and language is evident in their confidence to express ideas and engage in conversation. They initiate interactions with their peers and staff and use an increasingly wide range of vocabulary. Children's physical development is also a strength. For example, they show improving control and coordination as they roll, press and shape play dough confidently.

Transitions are a significant strength and make a strong contribution to children's achievements. Children understand expectations well and apply skills independently as they move between activities and parts of the setting. When moving to lunchtime, children walk calmly, follow visual cues, such as blue footsteps on the playground, and organise themselves with confidence. This shows that children can regulate their behaviour and apply their learning securely in different contexts.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those facing barriers to learning and those known, or previously known, to children's social care achieve alongside their peers. They take part confidently in daily activities and are very well prepared for their next stage of learning, including their move to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children behave well and show positive attitudes to their learning. They are settled, calm and engaged. Children approach activities with interest and curiosity. They sustain focus during play and show enjoyment in learning alongside others. Children demonstrate they can regulate their emotions very well for their age. They manage their emotions well and respond positively to staff's guidance. Children approach staff confidently for reassurance or support when needed. They approach unfamiliar adults with confidence, knowing that familiar staff are close by to provide reassurance if needed. Children show that they understand expectations because they listen carefully and follow instructions with minimal reminders.

Routines are well established and support children's behaviour effectively. Children know what is expected of them and manage changes calmly. When it is time to change activities, children stop what they are doing, listen and prepare themselves without disruption. This shows that children can regulate their behaviour and respond appropriately as routines change.

Children interact positively with their friends. They share resources, take turns and cooperate during play. Minor disagreements are resolved calmly with staff's support where needed. Children show respect for others. They are beginning to understand how their behaviour affects those around them. Leaders promote punctuality and attendance through clear expectations and positive relationships with families. Inclusive approaches ensure that staff consider children's age, stage of development and individual circumstances. As a result, children attend regularly, settle quickly and participate fully in daily routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff support children's welfare and wellbeing effectively. Children feel settled and emotionally secure because familiar staff respond consistently to their needs and provide reassurance when required. This consistency helps children to feel safe, calm and confident as they move through the day. Staff use daily care routines to support children's physical wellbeing. Mealtimes are calm and well organised. Staff support children to eat safely in a relaxed environment. They supervise children closely and manage risks effectively, including during mealtimes. Staff encourage children to develop independence, such as cutting up food for themselves, within a well-supervised environment that promotes their confidence and self-care skills.

Staff promote children's oral health through daily toothbrushing after lunch. They share information with parents and carers to help reinforce healthy habits at home. However, hygiene routines are not yet consistently embedded. For instance, staff support children with tissues when needed, but do not consistently encourage children to wash or sanitise their hands before returning to play. This means children do not receive consistent support to develop a secure understanding of hygiene as part of everyday self-care. As a result, while children's immediate welfare needs are met, this inconsistency limits how effectively the setting supports children to develop long-term healthy habits.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate confident, reflective leadership and have a clear understanding of the setting's strengths and priorities for improvement. They regularly review practice through observation, supervision and ongoing discussion with staff. For example, through observation, leaders identified differences in staff's confidence when supporting children during group activities. Leaders acted promptly by putting targeted training and practical support in place and then checking its impact through follow-up observations and discussion. This ensures that practice is consistent across the team, so children experience reliable care and learning. Leaders recognise that maintaining consistency requires ongoing attention and have clear plans to continue developing staff's skills. Professional development is well planned and closely linked to children's needs. Staff feel valued and well supported and speak positively about leadership, which creates stability and benefits children through familiar routines and trusted relationships.

Leaders manage staff's workload and wellbeing carefully. Regular supervision and protected time for additional responsibilities help staff balance their roles effectively. Governance provides effective support and challenge. Those responsible for governance know the setting well and work closely with leaders. They check that leaders' decisions support children's wellbeing, learning and care and that families' needs are considered.