Laurel Farm Steiner Kindergarten

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders implement highly effective ways to assess and closely track children's development. They use this information well to identify any emerging gaps in children's learning. Leaders have high aspirations for all children and adapt routines and learning experiences to meet the needs of each child. For example, they provide home visits to gain a more holistic overview of the children and families and implement plans to support children who may struggle with their transition into the setting. This swiftly reduces barriers to children's learning and ensures that all children have access to an inclusive learning environment. Leaders work collaboratively with parents and carers to share these targeted plans, providing continuity for children's learning and development. This well-sequenced approach to meeting children's individual needs ensures that all children make steady progress throughout their learning.

Although there are currently no children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, leaders demonstrate a wealth of knowledge on how they would support children and families. Leaders share their knowledge from recent training in weekly meetings, helping to provide consistent approaches and support for children, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. Leaders use additional funding to provide specialist speech and language support for children. This is highly impactful and quickly closes gaps in children's learning. Furthermore, they use funding to ensure all children can access and experience various events, such as theatre shows.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that offers children a wide range of meaningful and real-life experiences, through their engagement of the natural world. Knowledgeable, dedicated and experienced leaders deliver the well-sequenced curriculum through high-quality interactions and, overall, provide opportunities that reflect children's individual next steps in learning. They use their effective assessment procedures to ensure learning opportunities are age-appropriate, varied, exciting and consistent. For example, each day includes a focus on baking, planting or seasonal crafts. Leaders create a balance of adult-guided learning and moments where children can confidently lead their own learning. Children demonstrate fundamental skills that are embedded, such as independence, resilience and perseverance. However, there is less consistency around the opportunities provided for older children, to further build on their skills and learning. As a result, older children do not reach their full learning capabilities.

Leaders help children to gain excellent communication skills. This is a clear strength of the setting. They use more complex vocabulary and spend a wealth of time having discussions with children about their interests. For example, children have back-and-forth conversations about the boat they would like to build. Leaders skilfully ask questions that prompt children's thinking and creativity as they describe how they want to build it. They naturally weave in aspects of mathematical language, such as weight when talking about the heaviness of the sail.

Leaders place priority on supporting children's personal, social and emotional development. They help children to build on their social skills through their communication within small groups. For instance, they support younger children to ask what others are doing as they approach a group. This helps children to develop secure foundations that will support their future learning.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make steady progress across the curriculum from their starting points. This means that children, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, are well prepared for their next stage of learning, including school. Younger children refine their hand strength and coordination as they carefully chop vegetables. Older children demonstrate confidence and control when hammering small nails into wood, focusing on creating their boat. Children develop a keen interest in books. They enjoy stories and listen intently; others access books independently, calmly turning the pages and taking time to look at the pictures.

Younger children show independence in their self-care skills, such as toileting, and proudly recognise their names on their flannels as they walk past them. Children explore their creativity as they enjoy making patterns, including swirls and twirls. Younger children use vocabulary such as, 'Stones are not edible,' as they enjoy discussions during snack time. Children develop excellent communication skills. Throughout daily routines, such as lining up, staff encourage children to count and talk about size and weight. This helps children build well on their early mathematical skills. Leaders recognise that deeper evaluation of the curriculum will help raise the quality of children's learning even further.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children thrive in the happy and harmonious environment. Leaders promote high expectations of behaviour and implement these consistently, suiting the ages and abilities of all children. This means children know what is expected of them, helping them consistently follow routines excellently. For children who face barriers to their learning, leaders work hard to establish and adapt routines that gradually support children's transitions. Leaders use calm voices to sing a countdown song during each transition, such as tidy-up time. This results in seamless transitions as children move through their day with ease. Leaders highlight the importance of attendance and punctuality to help families develop positive habits for the future.

Leaders place great emphasis on helping children gain skills such as resilience and problem-solving. As a result, children manage small conflicts that arise without guidance. For example, children become a little frustrated when someone sits on their wooden log during 'ring time'. They discuss that there is another log and move across. Children confidently ask for their turn to mix water into the 'meteor dust' they have been creating and wait patiently. They respond, 'Yes, here you go.' They show consistent collaboration with each other, and leaders encourage this. Children are kind to one another, demonstrating empathy for how others feel. For instance, they ask, 'Are you okay?' when their peers lose their balance and nearly fall. Leaders and children are all positive role models for one another. This has a positive impact on how children treat each other, the environment and resources.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders know children and families extremely well. Children's emotional health is developed through the loving and purposeful bonds leaders create with children from the start. Home visits and flexible settling-in times ensure children build these relationships slowly. This helps leaders gain a secure understanding of how to meet children's specific care routines, including allergies or emerging intolerances.

Children develop their awareness of personal safety superbly. They independently ask for safety goggles when creating 'meteor dust' and confidently pick their home-grown parsley to eat. Older children explain that this is safe for them to eat, and they are allowed one handful. This supports children in beginning to manage risk independently, gaining important skills for their future. Children talk about healthy choices, and leaders ensure they monitor lunch boxes to keep them in line with nutritional guidance. These expectations are shared with parents and carers to provide support and continuity between home and the setting. Leaders help children begin to understand the effects of healthy foods on our bodies, describing how our bodies will feel 'happy and warm inside' from nutritious food. Children demonstrate independence in self-care skills such as dressing, toileting and using cutlery during mealtimes. Leaders manage personal care in a way that respects children's privacy. Children have daily opportunities for fresh air within the large grounds in which they are situated, supporting their physical and mental wellbeing.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Dedicated and passionate leaders ensure wellbeing in the setting is a priority. Regular supervisions and weekly meetings provide opportunities to keep the team up to date with relevant changes to guidance, including safer sleeping. Leaders are motivated to deepen and develop their knowledge and skills. For example, recent special educational needs and/or disabilities training has helped to further raise leaders' confidence in supporting children who may need additional support.

Leaders typically demonstrate a clear overview of the setting's strengths and areas for development. They use self-evaluation well to reflect on the environment. For example, leaders would like to enhance the outside space to further develop children's larger physical skills, enhancing their arm and core strength. Leaders make decisions based on the best interests of the children and families. Leaders gain feedback from parents and carers through questionnaires and daily interactions. However, leaders' current reflections of the curriculum are not yet refined enough. This means, at times, continuous, high-quality teaching and learning are not yet embedded.

Parent and community partnerships are a strength of the setting. These key relationships help to form a positive and collaborative approach in supporting children. Parents highly praise the 'wonderful leaders', reporting they always provide a nurturing and supportive environment for children. Parents have noticed progress in their children's learning, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development. Leaders appoint a parent rep to share the views of parents and to help organise community events such as picnics. Leaders have recently strengthened their links with local schools, further supporting children's transitions in the future.