Little Apples Day Nursery

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders establish an inclusive culture where children's individual needs are identified and responded to sensitively. Staff adapt their approach in the moment to support children who are quieter, reserved or need additional reassurance, helping them to feel safe, understood and ready to participate. Children who speak English as an additional language benefit from targeted interactions, such as visual supports and keywords in their home language, which help them to communicate confidently and make progress from their starting points.

Staff typically work closely with leaders, external professionals and the local authority to identify developmental concerns and follow appropriate reporting pathways. Leaders ensure that information from professionals is shared appropriately so that staff can embed agreed strategies effectively across rooms. Family structures and home languages are valued, and diversity is celebrated through greetings, displays and cultural awareness, helping children feel recognised and included.

Leaders monitor children's progress and use small-group work, one-to-one interactions and emotional-literacy tools to reduce barriers to learning and wellbeing. Inclusive practice supports children with special educational needs and/or disabilities appropriately, ensuring their needs are understood and responded to within daily routines. Across the setting, inclusive practice supports all children to feel a sense of belonging and to participate meaningfully in daily experiences.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Leaders understand the quality of the curriculum and make decisions that reflect children's interests and developmental needs. The curriculum provides purposeful opportunities for communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional growth. Staff model vocabulary clearly and use meaningful interactions to build children's language, including naming colours, describing textures and introducing early mathematical ideas, such as size, quantity and comparison.

Activities are planned in response to children's emerging interests, such as a 'volcano' experiment inspired by children's curiosity about dinosaurs. This activity encouraged prediction, discussion and early scientific thinking. Staff adapt teaching for children who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities or face barriers to learning. Adaptations include visual timetables, now-and-next boards, small-group work and targeted interactions, such as breaking instructions into smaller steps, modelling language and using visual cues to support understanding.

Assessment is used appropriately to check what children already know and can do. Staff draw on observations, conversations with parents and their knowledge of child development to plan experiences that build on children's prior learning. The curriculum prioritises communication, emotional literacy and independence, supporting children to develop confidence and resilience.

While teaching is generally of a high quality, children would benefit from being more actively involved in some adult-led activities. At times, staff lead too much of the learning, which limits children's opportunities to practise skills, explore ideas and deepen their understanding independently.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children make sound progress across the early years foundation stage areas of learning, particularly in communication and language. Babies use single words, such as 'up' and 'mummy', to express their needs and are praised for their attempts, which builds confidence and vocabulary. Toddlers explore materials with curiosity, mixing paint, naming colours and using mathematical language, such as 'big', 'small' and 'a lot', during play. Pre-school children typically collaborate well in group activities, passing hoops, sharing ideas and showing resilience when tasks are challenging.

During a 'volcano experiment', children predict whether it will make a 'big boom' or 'small boom', demonstrating early scientific thinking and showing sustained engagement.

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, children who speak English as an additional language and those facing barriers to learning are supported through targeted strategies that help them achieve from their starting points. These include visual cues, simplified language, modelling, and small-group interactions to ensure that all children can participate meaningfully.

Children are well prepared for their next stage of learning, including the transition on to pre-school or school. Well organised routines, emotional-literacy work and opportunities to develop independence and social skills help children to feel confident, secure and ready for new experiences.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Leaders create a positive environment with clear behaviour expectations that staff apply well across the setting. Staff build warm, respectful relationships with children and use calm, gentle reminders to help them maintain these expectations. During group times, staff respond sensitively when children need support to manage their emotions, offering reassurance and modelling appropriate behaviour. Children generally collaborate well, share resources and show kindness to peers. For example, toddlers comment positively on each other's painting ideas and help friends to find the materials they need.

Children understand routines and respond confidently to transition signals, such as the bell, which gives them notice and prevents sudden changes that may cause anxiety. Staff consider children's age, stage and individual needs when supporting behaviour, offering small-group interaction or one-to-one reassurance for children who prefer to observe before joining in. Attendance is monitored closely, and staff follow up promptly when contact cannot be made, helping children to maintain consistent routines and feel secure.

Children typically demonstrate positive attitudes to learning, remain engaged in activities and show willingness to try again when tasks are challenging, such as during group-coordination games or when attempting new physical skills outdoors. Predictable routines help children feel safe and confident, and behaviour is generally well managed across the setting.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Urgent improvement

Care practices do not meet children's individual needs due to significant weaknesses in safer-eating practice. Leaders do not provide clear guidance on how food should be prepared to reduce choking risks. As a result, unsafe food preparation results in risks to children's safety. Staff do not consistently identify choking hazards or challenge unsafe practice, and leaders do not monitor mealtimes sufficiently to identify weaknesses in staff practice or ensure that safe routines are embedded. Staff do not demonstrate a secure understanding of their responsibilities when serving food to children. Due to this, children's welfare is not consistently protected.

Despite these weaknesses, children experience secure relationships with key persons and benefit from responsive emotional support. Staff help children express their needs confidently, offering calm reassurance and modelling language well during daily routines. Safer-sleep practice is well established, with staff undertaking appropriate checks and following positioning guidance to help keep children safe. Children also learn about personal safety, hygiene and wellbeing through everyday experiences, such as washing hands before meals, practising safe climbing outdoors and using colour prompts to identify feelings.

Leadership and governance: Urgent improvement

Leaders do not have a secure oversight or monitor staff practice in relation to food practices. Training and support has not been sufficiently targeted to ensure that staff have a secure understanding of their responsibilities in relation to safer eating. Leaders do not provide effective guidance for staff regarding how food should be prepared to reduce choking risks. Strengthening oversight of safer-eating practice is a priority to ensure that routines are securely embedded and consistently protect children's welfare.

Leaders support staff wellbeing and consider their workload. Leaders and staff establish professional relationships with families and regularly communicate children's experiences, routines and development. This helps to ensure continuity of learning for children at home and at the setting. Leaders plan an inclusive curriculum and provide mentoring, modelling and guidance to staff to support the development of children with barriers to their learning. Parents report that they feel welcomed and well informed. Leaders work closely with parents, as well as external professionals and the local authority when additional support for children is needed.