Little Acorns Nursery (New Milton) Limited

Inclusion: Strong standard

Leaders and staff are very effective in recognising the individual needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They make swift referrals to appropriate external health and educational professionals. Staff collaborate with these professionals to receive targeted training and advice. This helps staff to adapt and provide highly tailored support for the children in their care. For example, they consult with local specialist teams and speech and language therapists.

Leaders and staff are passionate about identifying and removing barriers to children's learning effectively. For example, visual aids, Makaton and gestures are used in everyday practice. These strategies help children to communicate effectively, participate fully and access the curriculum alongside their peers.

Staff develop positive partnerships with parents and carers, which helps ensure children have their needs met. They share information regularly and tailor this support to suit the needs of the parents. For example, staff hold meetings at flexible times and have introduced a home-book system to share sensitive information. Parents speak highly of the significant support they have received from the setting.

Funding is used thoughtfully and effectively, to ensure it enhances the care and learning for those whom it is intended. For example, leaders provide additional sessions for individual children, such as visits from a music teacher to extend children's experiences. Children with SEND and those who face other barriers to their learning make secure and meaningful progress because of the focus placed on ensuring all children are fully included.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and staff create a broad curriculum that reflects children's interests and learning needs. Overall, they deliver this effectively, helping all children to build on what they know and can do. Children typically make progress across all areas of learning and access a varied range of activities that reflect their interests and next steps in learning. Staff adapt activities to ensure that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and children who face barriers to their learning, make progress in their learning. However, there are sometimes inconsistencies in the quality of staff interactions during activities. Some staff are less effective at identifying opportunities to build on children's interests to extend their learning further. For example, staff do not consistently build on children's curiosity as they delight in exploring bubbles when using pipettes.

Staff regularly talk about and use number language throughout the day. This supports children to develop their understanding of mathematical concepts. For example, children count and recall numbers during a puzzle activity.

Babies engage in meaningful back-and-forth interactions with adults, while exploring sensory activities. Their physical development is promoted well, as staff provide opportunities to support children's early mobility and walking. Older children show delight when using pipettes and play dough to strengthen the small muscles in their hands, helping to develop their fine motor skills.

Staff support children to develop a love of stories, books and rhymes, promoting early literacy. They ensure that books are freely available for children to independently select.

Achievement: Expected standard

Typically, children achieve well from their starting points and make secure progress across the curriculum. Gaps in learning and development generally close quickly, especially for those who face barriers to their learning. Children are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Babies develop secure attachments with staff, seeking comfort and reassurance when needed. They eagerly explore the accessible resources, confidently leading their play. For example, they use a low-level climbing frame for pulling themselves up, in preparation for walking. They also enjoy quietly looking at books in the cosy area.

Older children become confident communicators, taking the lead in their play and developing a love of learning. For example, children enthusiastically engage in an imaginative play with dinosaurs.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Staff consistently provide a warm, nurturing and positive atmosphere where children develop a secure sense of belonging. They skilfully adapt the environment and daily routine to ensure that all children's needs are supported. For example, snack time is now calmer and more enjoyable due to recent, well-targeted changes.

Highly respectful staff understand children's individual needs deeply, building close relationships where children seek cuddles when tired or upset. As positive role models with high expectations, staff successfully encourage politeness, sharing and patient turn-taking through regular praise. Consequently, children display impressive social skills, consistently showing respect, kindness and empathy toward one another.

Leaders and staff place great focus on supporting children to learn how to understand and regulate their emotions. For example, staff have created boxes of carefully chosen resources for individual children to use, when feeling overwhelmed.

Staff promote children's independence effectively. For example, they encourage children to practise skills, such as clearing their plates and tidying away toys. Staff use consistent and effective strategies to help children understand routines and transitions. For example, staff ring a bell to gain children's attention and inform them of a change of activity. Children respond positively, actively engaging in tidying up, demonstrating a sense of responsibility.

Staff effectively promote regular attendance by working closely with families. This prepares children for school transition and ensures they benefit fully from the setting's rich experiences.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

The wellbeing of all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are fully supported in this setting, by staff who know them well. Staff provide a nurturing and welcoming environment where children feel safe to express themselves. For example, children's faces beam with delight as they excitedly share their news with staff, confident that they will receive a positive response. The secure and established relationships in place significantly support all children's emotional wellbeing and self-esteem.

Staff build positive and extremely valuable relationships with parents. They have a thorough understanding of the needs of the community and take time to understand the needs of the families whose children attend the setting. They skilfully use this insight to respond to the varying needs and circumstances of individual children and families. Staff share information daily with parents so that they are well informed and well supported. Parents speak very positively about the support that they receive, especially parents of children with SEND.

Staff effectively encourage children to develop the skills they need to become independent in their personal hygiene practices. For example, babies confidently wash their faces at snack time. Older children learn about the importance of oral health as they use resources to practise cleaning teeth.

Staff follow an efficient and systematic process for monitoring snacks and mealtimes. They consistently remind and encourage children to learn about eating safely and building healthy habits. All staff are aware of children's allergies and individual stages of weaning for babies. Safer sleep procedures are robustly followed and monitored by staff in the setting.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders have a clear ambition to provide consistently high-quality care and teaching for children. They aim to prepare all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, for their next stage of education. Through effective self-evaluation, leaders accurately recognise areas for improvement. For example, leaders are aware that some staff would benefit from additional support in refining their interactions with children to extend their learning even further during activities. They are currently taking action to address this, including identifying specific training to support individual staff.

Leaders provide regular supervision and support for staff, with wellbeing clearly at the centre of their practice. Effective and open communication between leaders and staff results in positive staff morale and high staff retention. Leaders deploy staff effectively, ensuring the safe and efficient running of the setting.

Staff work successfully in partnership with parents and other external agencies to ensure that children receive the best possible support and care. For example, they have regular contact with the local authority specialist team and speech and language therapists. Parents speak highly of the setting. They value the support they receive both on a personal level, and for their children's learning. Leaders work to continually reduce barriers to children's learning and development. For example, parents praise the endless help and support received during the referral process.

High levels of commitment from leaders and all staff, and extremely effective teamwork, support the safe and effective operation of the setting.