Laugh N Learn Day Nursery

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have very successfully created a truly inclusive and nurturing environment for all children. They liaise with other professionals to ensure the right support is in place. Staff are expert at identifying children's unique and individual needs. They use their extensive knowledge of child development and wider understanding of special educational needs and/or disabilities to swiftly highlight any gaps in learning. They quickly make adaptations to support all children, including those who have significant barriers to learning, to feel included. They carefully and sensitively consider how they can adapt and make even the smallest of changes to the learning environment and their interactions, so that all children can be fully included. Leaders and staff quickly learn new skills to help them meet children's needs. For example, the recent introduction of sign language has become quickly and naturally integrated into daily interactions between staff and children alike. This helps all children feel included.

Leaders ensure that funding is used very well and often has a significant impact on children and their families. All staff are knowledgeable about the graduated approach because they have all received training. This helps them highlight and notice any learning needs that may become apparent. Those with responsibility for special educational needs and/or disabilities support have worked diligently to make sure processes work efficiently. As a result, children make secure and often rapid progress from their starting points.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have worked hard to successfully and passionately embed a very well-considered, sequenced curriculum that carefully builds on children's skills and knowledge. There is a golden thread which links learning for babies very effectively through to toddlers and on to pre-school. Leaders and staff have an excellent understanding of what they want children to learn. Children's independence and their emotional security is central to the learning opportunities on offer.

Staff focus strongly on children's individuality. They adapt the curriculum offer to suit all children. They know children very well and use their knowledge of them alongside their sharply focused assessment to effectively to shape teaching. Staff understand child development, and, as a result, they plan accurately for children's next steps. This helps children make rapid progress from their starting points.

Staff's interactions with children are consistently strong. They effortlessly take every opportunity to help children extend their learning. Rich vocabulary, thoughtfully and well-considered activities and open-ended questioning all help children to thrive in their development. Children's communication and language, as well as their mathematical development, is nurtured. Opportunities to support these are intrinsically woven throughout all activities. Physical development is enhanced as babies are challenged to make their way over a small arched frame, and older children complete a complicated obstacle course.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or where there are barriers to learning, make excellent and often rapid progress across all areas of learning. Children are extremely confident, settled and happy here and because of this, they are motivated and fascinated learners. They express their thoughts, ideas and needs confidently and competently. They confidently talk to others, negotiate and problem solve as they play.

Older children's physical and mathematical development is enhanced as they enthusiastically make their own recipe for 'Gruffalo soup', mixing scoops and spoons full of scented leaves, lentils, fir cones, and conkers into their bowl. They smell the lemon and orange slices with intrigue and deep interest. Babies babble and begin those early conversations with their key person as they share stories together. Younger children learn about their bodies as they join in with delight to the song 'Heads, shoulders, knees and toes'. They excitedly sing the words quietly, fast, slow and then loud, alongside staff.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

All children are excited and interested learners. They are highly motivated in their learning and thoroughly enjoy the extensive range of well-considered and thoughtfully planned activities available to them. They persevere and negotiate in their play. For example, babies confidently and actively explore their surroundings. They are persistent as they attempt to crawl over a small arched climbing frame. Their curiosity helps them successfully attempt and test out how to use cause and effect equipment, which supports future learning. Younger children seek out others to help them mix paint colours together to make their own Autumn painting. This supports their understanding of turn-taking skills and collaborative play from an early age. Older children treat each other with empathy, respect and kindness as they use sign language to include their friends in group conversations.

Leaders and staff are excellent role models and teach children the importance of an understanding and sympathetic culture based on mutual respect. All staff are kind, caring and extremely responsive to children's individual needs. This is particularly noticeable for children who face barriers to their learning, or where there are special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff have successfully embedded, throughout the nursery and for every age group, a consistent approach to help children become aware of, and manage their feelings and emotions.

Leaders stress the importance of regular and timely attendance with parents and carers. They make timely and sensitive adaptations for those children who face barriers regarding this. They consider a range of ways to flexibly adapt their routines and sessions.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff successfully create a warm and welcoming environment where all children are very happy, confident and settled. They place a high priority on children's wellbeing and welfare. The carefully considered focus on feelings through the 'colour monster' activities and resources, for example, help babies and children understand their emotions. Staff make sure they are close by to support babies and offer the security they need which is vital to relationships. Partnerships with parents and carers are very effective in ensuring consistency in daily routines. This helps all children develop a secure sense of belonging. There is a very positive culture of praise and encouragement in this nursery. Staff offer children lots of praise and encouragement and are completely involved alongside them as they play. This helps children to successfully build their confidence and self-esteem.

Caring and thoughtful leaders and staff know children extremely well. They skilfully use their knowledge of children's interests and personalities to engage children in activities that interest them. This helps children's emotional security because they happily and enthusiastically come into nursery every day. Children enjoy a broad range of healthy snacks and meals, freshly prepared daily by nursery staff. They learn about healthy eating and making choices, and their independence is encouraged well at these times. Any dietary preferences or allergy needs are effortlessly accommodated. Physical health is encouraged as they access fresh air and exercise daily.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have worked hard since the last inspection to make improvements to the provision for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those children who have other barriers to learning. They are passionate and focused on providing children with the very best early years experiences. They have a clear and precise overview of the provision, and, along with enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff, have made rapid change and embedded excellent practice in a short period of time.

There is an extremely sharp focus on supporting children with SEND and other barriers to their learning, and this has benefitted children and their families greatly. Leaders and staff use their extensive knowledge of child development to help them quickly identify children with SEND and those who face other barriers to learning. Partnership working is extremely strong. This means that children receive the necessary support they need in a timely way. Staff maintain very effective partnerships with parents and carers. They use a range of methods to give parents detailed information about children's progress and share ideas about how parents can further support learning at home.

Leaders know the community they serve very well. They understand the challenges families face and work hard to make adaptations to include all children, and support good attendance. They regularly reflect on their own practice and are proactive in making improvements that have been successful for children and their families, as well as staff.

Leaders carry out robust inductions for new staff. Other staff benefit from a wide range of professional development opportunities to nurture their strengths and improve their understanding even more. Staff wellbeing is of paramount importance. Leaders work alongside staff and support them through individual supervision sessions, where workload and wellbeing is discussed.