Little Adventures Nursery (Weston-super-Mare)

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders swiftly identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or children who face barriers to their learning due to disadvantage. Overall, they work closely with other agencies and professionals to provide effective targeted support. Those with responsibility for SEND show good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and, with leaders, identify ways forward to enable consistency through the training programme, such as the consistent use of sign language. They efficiently identify where early help is needed and engage well with parents to put nurture plans and support passports in place. Through this approach, all staff know their key children well which helps children to access the full curriculum.

Leaders and managers use any additional funding precisely to improve the outcomes for children and to ensure they attend the setting regularly. They use focused assessments, including the 2-year-old progress check, and review the procedures in place efficiently to help them understand potential barriers to learning and emerging needs. This approach has a positive impact on children's achievement and wellbeing, including those children who are known, or previously known, to children's social care.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders and managers design a curriculum that motivates children to learn, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those with barriers to learning. They consider children's interests and what they want children to learn next through identification of well-targeted 'thrive goals'. Overall, staff use this knowledge well to tailor the curriculum to build on what children know already and sequence their learning well. For example, the environment is carefully adapted to build children's physical skills. Babies have lots of opportunities to reach, stretch, pull themselves up and cruise, while older children climb tree stumps, balance on logs and swing on the rope swing, learning the value of fresh air and physical exercise. The new leadership and management team recognise fluctuations in practice and actively support staff to raise standards, particularly in developing children's communication and language skills and supporting consistency in understanding behaviour expectations.

Older babies thoroughly enjoy a group song time where they are invited to choose a favourite song. Staff consistently use children's names and support spoken words with sign language to help build children's confidence and understanding. For the most part, babies engage well and show attention by, for example, enthusiastically participating in actions and anticipating the next move. Engaging staff help children to explore the rice with a wide range of different tools, building on their interest of treasure chests. Children watch and listen as staff model and explain and then have a go independently as they develop coordination and muscle strength. Children learn new vocabulary, such as 'sieve', show interest in numbers and begin to engage in cooperative play.

Achievement: Expected standard

Overall, children achieve well from their starting points. All children progress well in their communication and language development. Babies consistently hear commentary and new vocabulary, whereas older children receive lots of opportunities to talk about their experiences, such as their news during 'circle times'. Children show a love of books. Young children choose favourite books to explore, handling them carefully and turning pages with precision. They point to pictures and wait for staff to identify an object.

Children, from an early age, learn to be independent. Young babies have every opportunity to feed themselves while older children serve themselves. They receive consistent encouragement and praise to succeed and build high levels of self-esteem. For example, they have as much time as needed to dress themselves for their trip to the wood. They persevere and succeed to pull zips up and are proud of their achievements.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders have excellent understanding of the barriers that some children face. They continually work well with families. For example, they seek new ways to enable regular attendance, maintaining and monitoring an accurate record of children's attendance. Leaders provide tailored support and kindness when required to enable children to attend and establish routines in readiness for their move on to school. They provide ideas to help at home, such as supporting consistent bedtime routines.

Generally, children are aware of behavioural expectations and they receive support to play nicely together. Staff use individualised nurture plans and support passports to make necessary adaptations when considering children's behavioural needs, such as self-regulation toys. Staff talk calmly and encourage children to share and take turns well. Children are kind to each other. For example, toddlers share construction bricks. Children develop positive relationships and play collaboratively, making play dough animals alongside attentive staff. However, staff do not always help children to see the impact of throwing rice or crawling under a table, on their and others' wellbeing. Leaders have high expectations and have identified these inconsistencies and are working with staff to improve standards.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Strong standard

Leaders and managers have skilfully identified weaknesses in the key-person system and exceedingly effective adaptations mean that children receive individualised care plans. Children form lovely bonds with their chosen adult. There are highly responsive interactions, especially with young children. For example, babies who find it difficult to settle themselves to sleep receive cuddles and gentle stroking by patient staff who help soothe them to sleep. Staff carefully consider transitions to the next room and ensure that children are ready, able and confident. The environment is well considered to ensure adjustments are in place to meet children's individual needs. Staff skilfully and sensitively address milestones with parents, developing highly effective two-way partnerships.

Mealtimes are a lovely occasion with many opportunities to talk about preferences and healthy eating. Children are closely supervised with excellent deployment of staff to keep children safe. Leaders implement highly effective procedures and risk assessments to ensure that children and staff remain safe, regardless of their individual requirements. This is specifically rigorous when responding to allergens and medical needs, and ensuring that all staff have the required medical training. There are highly effective engagements with other professionals to successfully review and monitor the effectiveness of policies and procedures. Robust training ensures highly effective sleep arrangements that are responsive to the changing needs of children and legal requirements. These protect children and maintain high standards of hygiene successfully.

When children visit the local wood, they fully understand the rules and expectations that keep them safe. For example, after recalling the rules from their last visit, they know that when a dog enters their coned space they should immediately cross their arms across their chest and stand still. Children confidently talk about the reasons as to why only 2 children are allowed on the swing and that they need to have an adult with them if they go up the hill. Staff complete thorough, individualised risk assessments so that all children can attend.

Leadership and governance: Strong standard

Leaders demonstrate a strong commitment to providing high-quality care and education. The highly efficient and knowledgeable new management team have a deep understanding of the nursery's strengths and areas for development. They use highly effective and reflective self-evaluation and share their knowledge and expertise. For example, although not yet fully embedded for staff who have very recently joined the nursery, there are ongoing improvements and excellent training opportunities. Leaders and managers expertly consider how best to support staff induction and professional development with careful consideration for their learning styles and any adjustments needed. Improvements are evident. For example, they follow sustained, shared-thinking training, which is successfully improving children's communication and language skills. This new staff team work highly impressively together with the best interests of the children at the heart of all they do, with particular regard to improving attendance.

There are excellent partnerships with parents who feel well supported in difficult times. There are extensive handovers and parents feel very well informed about their child's day and their current learning. Staff are particularly supportive when children attend initial sessions where staff offer comfort and reassurance to parents when children are unsettled. Leaders are receptive to feedback gathered from parents. For example, there is now clear labelling on room doors so that parents know who is caring for their children on that day.

Leaders use a staff survey highly effectively to gather the thoughts and ideas from staff to help them manage their key-person responsibilities and workload. Leaders have identified improvements and are working on these to improve the working environment and boost morale. This demonstrates that the management team are proactive and address concerns immediately when they arise, especially in promoting robust team work in a welcoming and supportive environment.