Little Adventures Nursery Washwood Heath

Inclusion: Exceptional

Leaders have established an exemplary, inclusive culture where every child's needs are accurately assessed and supported. Well-embedded systems guide each child's individual journey through the setting. For example, the use of passports and nurture diaries ensure that children receive personalised support from the moment they start. Staff are highly skilled in swiftly identifying emerging needs. Leaders work with the wider sector to shape practice for children, including national charities that specialise in support for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This strengthens the transformational impact on children and families. As a result, all children experience consistently high-quality support that meets their individual needs exceptionally well.

Children in receipt of additional funding make rapid progress, particularly in their physical skills and speech and language. Parents and carers are closely involved from the outset, and leaders listen carefully to children's and families' voices. For example, leaders organise a beach trip so that all families can enjoy an experience they have not previously been able to access. Staff adapt practice thoughtfully so that every child receives the right level of support. Highly-effective strategies, such as emotion faces, 'Now And Next' boards, research-informed programmes and visual prompts, help all children understand expectations and routines with confidence.

Leaders work closely with external agencies, including the local authority's inclusion team, speech and language therapists and health professionals. Parents are welcomed regularly and invited to workshops that strengthen community partnerships. Leaders' groundbreaking, sustained work removes barriers to attendance, learning and wellbeing. For example, they collaborate with the local authority's brokerage team to support families in securing a rich, awe-inspiring and inclusive setting, including for children known to social care. As a community vitamins hub, they ensure families access essential health support directly through the nursery. This coordinated approach enables smooth transitions and robust support packages. As a result, all children benefit from consistently high-impact support that secures their progress and wellbeing.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have embedded a well-sequenced curriculum that reflects children's individual age and stage of development. Their values focus on supporting children to be resilient, independent, curious and happy. These thread through their curriculum, and prepare children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged children, and those known or previously known to children's social care, for future success. Staff have excellent knowledge of child development, which informs their high-quality interactions. They know children extremely well and consistently work with parents to support learning. Personalised next steps guide practice and help children thrive from their starting points.

Babies explore their environment with confidence, including those who are new to the setting. Staff provide resources, such as balls, to encourage crawling and early coordination. Outdoors, children show natural curiosity as they dig in mud and investigate natural materials. For example, they explore sticks and apples from the apple tree. Staff extend language by introducing words such as 'big', 'small' and 'splash'. They skilfully deepen children's thinking through questions that link new learning to prior knowledge. Mathematics is woven into daily practice. Staff use songs and rhymes to introduce counting, such as '1,2,3,4,5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive'. They model how to scoop sand and fill buckets, enabling children to imitate actions and build early control and hand strength. As a result, all children excel in their communication and language, and mathematical skills.

Achievement: Strong standard

All children make excellent progress from their starting points across all 7 areas of learning. Babies learn to crawl, explore independently and pull themselves up to standing. They enjoy songs, rhymes and active music sessions through embedded research-based programmes. This supports babies to move, vocalise and make connections, using props such as scarves and instruments.

Children develop their physical skills confidently. They learn to use tools such as tongs to grip apples and knives safely to cut bananas for smoothies. Outdoors, children walk up and down planks, stretching their arms to support balance and judge distance. This helps them take managed risks and build resilience.

All children develop their communication and language skills rapidly. They learn words such as sphere, heavy and ginormous, supported by visual cues that secure understanding. They use this vocabulary naturally in their play. As a result, children are very well prepared for the next stage of their education and continue to make excellent progress.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Strong standard

Leaders and staff have embedded a highly safe, nurturing environment where every child is taught to be respectful. Children behave extremely well and consistently show kindness, respect and positive teamwork. For example, when they play in sand, they share resources and include their friends. Children independently tidy away resources and help to sweep up. This contributes to the calm, harmonious environment where children show sustained engagement and positive attitudes to their learning and to each other.

All children are eager to learn and join in. Children, including those who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing, and children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, prepare their fruit and yoghurt smoothies with growing independence. They try fruits, such as bananas, and say they are 'yummy'. Children take turns patiently, supported by staff praise. For example, staff consistently say 'Well done' and 'Thank you for sharing'. They talk confidently about using fruits like mango and work together to mix the smoothie. This develops their highly-positive social skills and independence.

Routines are clearly embedded and all children know what will come next in their day. For example, the consistent use of 'Now And Next' boards supports children's understanding. Children independently use the toilet, wash their hands and get ready for outdoor play. For example, they get their own coats and show increasing competence in putting them on themselves. Staff offer calm encouragement, praise and timely reminders. This reinforces children's independence and ensures smooth transitions. Leaders monitor attendance closely so that all children attend regularly. This helps families build positive habits for the future.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and staff consistently prioritise children's welfare and wellbeing. They create a safe, nurturing and well-organised environment where all children feel valued and included. Leaders have a detailed understanding of the community, families and the barriers they may face. For example, all parents and carers can access the 'on-the-go' breakfast, home learning packs, toothbrushes and essential health items such as nappies and vitamins.

All children enjoy freshly prepared onsite meals such as curry, rice and vegetables. Babies feed themselves with spoons, and older children use cutlery and pour their own drinks. Calm, consistent encouragement from staff ensures that all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children, participate fully and develop secure self-care skills.

Safer-sleeping practices are well embedded. Staff create a calm, soothing environment for babies and young children and follow routines from home to ensure consistency. Leaders and staff work closely with parents and carers to educate and support their understanding of safe sleeping, weaning and age-and-stage expectations. This reflects the setting's significant commitment to shared approaches between home and nursery.

Healthy lifestyles are consistently promoted. All children show high engagement outdoors and love being physically active. Staff take children into the local community, including visits to the shop where they learn about road safety. This helps to broaden children's experiences beyond the setting.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders are highly passionate about the care and education they provide. They have a clear vision, have embedded a deeply inclusive culture and understand the needs of their children, families and community. Leaders gather regular feedback from staff, parents and children to evaluate the quality of their offer. Leaders and those responsible for governance are inspirational advocates for children and families. For example, they share their inclusion practice with the wider sector and contribute to events, conferences and working groups to promote inclusion and the impact of their work.

Leaders have a precise understanding of the setting's strengths and areas for development. For example, leaders prioritised enhancing staff interactions to improve sustained shared thinking and ensure their high standards are consistently met. They provide a rigorous training package for all staff, including new leaders, and recognise that they are embedding a new leader into post to sustain and strengthen this work. Staff feel valued and say they have opportunities to grow professionally, including opportunities to lead specialist learning programmes. Staff are proud to work at the setting and report high levels of wellbeing.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive. They say their children feel safe, well cared for and they value the information shared online and at handovers. They feel truly listened to and report that leaders always make time for them. Parents say their children have made clear progress in their communication and physical skills since starting at the setting.