Lighthouse Family Centre

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders know their children, families and the community very well. They use their detailed and knowledgeable insight to expertly evaluate the provision. Leaders and staff carefully and thoughtfully adapt what they provide depending on the children attending. They take swift action to further enhance children's experiences. Leaders place children's best interests right at the very centre of their decisions so that all children belong and thrive. All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face barriers to learning, make excellent and steady progress from their starting points. Targeted individualised support, skilled teaching and strong collaboration with families and external agencies mean that children's needs are swiftly identified. This allows children the opportunity to make the very best progress in their individual learning.

Leaders are extremely knowledgeable about an extensive range of support, advice and guidance for children and their families. They guide parents and carers to access the right support for them and their children. There are coherent and carefully considered partnerships with other professionals. This means the appropriate support, as well as any funding children are entitled to, is promptly available so that it quickly makes a difference.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders have a sharply focused and ambitious vision for the curriculum. They are passionate about providing children with a very secure foundation in early years and extensive opportunities to build on knowledge and skills. This means that children are extremely well prepared for the next step in their lives and for adulthood. Leaders and staff successfully implement the curriculum that carefully reflects children's interests, stages of development and individual needs. They understand clearly what they want children to learn. Staff successfully support children to become confident communicators and curious learners. They provide a rich and stimulating range of engaging experiences that help children to build the skills they need for future learning.

Children develop a love of books from an early age because staff create comfortable spaces and prioritise looking at books together. Staff revisit favourite stories regularly to help children build vocabulary and understanding over time. They introduce new language naturally during play and routines. Staff are skilled in the way they encourage children to talk about their ideas, recall previous experiences and solve problems independently. For example, they pose questions as children fill and empty water containers, mixing colours together to make green. Children use mathematical words, such as 'full' and 'empty'. They judge whether they can squeeze any more water into a bottle before it overflows.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children achieve highly and make steady and sustained progress across all areas of learning from their starting points. There is an extremely sharp focus on personal, social and emotional development. All children are incredibly well prepared for their next steps, including school. This includes disadvantaged children, those who may have barriers to learning and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Children successfully learn an extensive range of knowledge and skills. They exude confidence as they relish the many opportunities they have to play, actively explore, investigate and persevere. Children remember what they have learned and build on their knowledge across all areas of learning. For example, babies repeatedly explore how different-sized wheels move down a grass slope, rolling them from the top of the slope to the bottom. Older children ask to sing a favourite song, 'Growing older, moving up', that they have learned to help them understand about their imminent move to school. Children's communication and language are enriched as they are immersed in a environment rich in language.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Children benefit from a calm, caring and harmonious environment where staff understand their needs expertly. They are confident and fascinated learners. Children thoroughly enjoy the extensive range of opportunities to play and learn. This means that babies and children develop positive attitudes towards their learning. The provision for disadvantaged children and those where there are barriers to learning and special educational needs and/or disabilities is a particular strength. Leaders and staff are extremely attuned to children's needs and the needs of the community they support.

Leaders have a sharply focused and consistent strategy to encourage children's positive attendance. This includes celebrating children's regular attendance. Leaders work closely in partnership with parents and carers so that they understand why regular attendance is so important for their children's future. Leaders and staff know the families and the community extremely well and provide individual support for them whenever needed. As a result, children attend consistently well, and parents are involved in children's experiences.

Children develop secure and positive relationships with staff and close friendships with other children. This helps them to flourish with increasing confidence. Leaders and staff work sensitively to help children and families understand behaviour expectations. A huge emphasis is placed on the importance of routines and boundaries. Staff implement these expectations consistently. They are skilled at calmly supporting children who need additional support in managing their feelings and emotions.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff carefully prioritise children's emotional wellbeing. They form secure and nurturing relationships with children, which helps children to thrive. Children benefit from consistent routines, and staff help them to know and understand what is coming next. This contributes to children developing a secure sense of belonging. Leaders and staff thoughtfully tailor settling-in sessions and are flexible in meeting the individual needs of children and families. Children smoothly transition to the next age group room only when they are completely ready to do so, alongside their key persons.

Leaders and staff support children to consistently make healthy choices by providing a highly nutritious menu of fresh home-cooked meals. They work closely with parents and carers to help them understand the importance and impact of a healthy and balanced diet on children's health and wellbeing. Children learn about personal care as they brush their teeth. Babies help to wipe the tables prior to lunch, and staff make this fun by singing a song to encourage them. Leaders and staff monitor children closely when they rest and sleep. They carefully follow safe sleeping procedures and regularly review practice to safely meet children's individual needs.

Leaders understand the importance of developing children's ability to be independent and make choices. They successfully do this as they offer children plenty of time to play in the interesting and exciting learning environment. Children develop these skills further as they serve themselves their lunch and pour their own drinks.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are passionate about their ambitious vision for the nursery and strive to deliver high-quality care and education for all children. They understand the strengths of the setting well. Leaders tirelessly continue to drive positive improvements that benefit all children, families, the community and staff.

Leaders support staff very well so that they develop their skills, understanding and knowledge with the setting's priorities and children's needs in mind. Leaders lead by example as they provide ongoing guidance, coaching and professional learning to staff. As a result, staff successfully and swiftly apply knowledge gained from this learning to further enhance the experiences of all children. For example, recent training in a communication and language screening tool means that all children benefit from intensive and focused support to help develop their language skills. Staff morale is high. They say they are valued and supported very well. This means that they are fully invested in this very special community provision.

Engagement with parents and carers is caring, sensitive and constructive. Leaders and staff maintain thoughtful and meaningful interactions with parents that really make a difference. Parents say they feel lucky to have found the provision and be part of the close community. Parents appreciate the guidance that leaders and staff provide for them, including help with settling in. Leaders provide parent workshops to encourage children's healthy eating and the importance of early reading.

Leaders work in close partnership with external partners to continually improve the provision for children and families. For example, they have formed a partnership with the local housing group, who have redesigned and developed the outdoor play area for children. This means that children can explore and investigate in a safe and interesting environment.