Little Chums Pre School

Inclusion: Strong standard

Staff identify children's needs early through a well-planned set of observations and assessments. They carefully use baseline assessments and effective screening to identify any additional support children may need. Staff work closely with parents and other professionals to create support plans to help children meet their next steps in learning and development. Staff regularly review these to evaluate the impact of strategies and adapt provision swiftly where needed. As a result, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities make steady progress from their starting points.

Staff are proactive in applying for additional funding where required. They use this funding skilfully and effectively to support children's development. For example, staff implement early interventions, such as sensory baskets with a clear focus on developing children's communication and language skills.

In addition, staff engage in ongoing training opportunities to further develop their understanding of how children learn. For instance, staff have attended training focused on children's individual needs. Parents speak highly of the relationships between staff and children, noting that their children are happy and safe and they receive highly attentive care. All children are prepared extremely well for their next stage of learning.

Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard

Weaknesses in relation to leadership and governance do not impact on the curriculum or staff's teaching. Staff place a high priority on children's physical, personal, social and emotional development. They use regular assessment to monitor progress, plan next steps and adapt activities to meet individual needs. Staff have clear learning intentions and help children build on what they already know and can do. Staff have sought training to develop their understanding of how to support children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Typically, all children, including those with SEND, make secure progress in their learning and development. However, staff do not always consider precisely what they want younger children to learn and focus more on older children's learning.

Overall, stories and songs are embedded in daily routines. Children sing confidently as they wait to cross the road, learning about how to stay safe. Younger children take part in a song bag activity and mostly engage well. This helps children to practise vocabulary and remember actions to familiar songs. Older children choose books independently and enjoy sharing stories with staff.

Staff teach early mathematical concepts through their daily interactions. For example, they count with younger children as they press their fingers into play dough. Older children count and recognise numbers as they hunt for natural items on their walk.

Achievement: Expected standard

Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make rapid progress from their starting points, particularly in communication and language. Children with SEND benefit from precise and targeted support that enables them to access learning and make inspiring progress alongside their peers. However, younger children do not always benefit from frequent opportunities to hear language through singing and familiar stories. Older children speak with confidence. They join in activities, learn new vocabulary and increasingly use language to express their needs and emotions.

Children demonstrate growing independence and self-confidence. They demonstrate strong physical development as they walk, run and skilfully learn to ride bikes. Younger children develop their core muscles as they push around walkers in the nursery and scoop sand with one-handed tools. Overall, children develop the skills they need for their next stage of learning, in readiness for their transition to school.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children behave well. Staff set high expectations for behaviour. They take time to get to know the children and their likes and dislikes. This helps staff build warm and trusting relationships with children. As a result, children feel secure, valued and confident to explore their environment and engage in activities with enthusiasm. Parents comment on how quickly their children have settled and the bonds their children have made with staff.

Children know the routines of the day and what is expected of them. Staff model positive behaviour through a kind and gentle approach. Children reflect this behaviour in their own interactions. Staff encourage children to develop key social and life skills and ensure that children receive positive praise for their kind and thoughtful behaviours. Mealtimes are well managed. Toddlers enjoy trying new fruits, and staff sit with children and use this as a social time.

Staff place importance on children's attendance and punctuality. This ensures that all children, including disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to social care, are supported to maintain routines.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Staff gather information from parents, particularly for young children so that care routines are followed as closely as possible to those at home. This helps younger children feel safe in their care.

Children build warm attachments with their key staff and separate with ease from their parents as they arrive. Furthermore, children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive responsive support to meet their individual needs. Staff are skilled at adapting care routines and use strategies, such as objects of reference and consistent reassurance, to help children understand routines and manage transitions. This supports children's emotional regulation and helps them feel secure and included throughout the day.

Children, including those with SEND, have ample opportunity to exercise. They love being outside in the community woodland and in the fresh air. Staff teach children about being safe as they cross roads, and they wear helmets as they learn to ride balance bikes. This helps children develop an awareness of danger. Children follow good hygiene routines as they wash their hands before snack time. Staff gently remind them of the importance of using soap. This helps children learn healthy habits for the future.

Leadership and governance: Needs attention

Although leaders identify that they need to make improvements with in the leadership and governance of the nursery, they have not taken action to address these weaknesses. As such, leaders do not ensure that they plan regular opportunities to carry out staff supervisions to support staff and monitor their workload. This means that staff do not receive the support from leaders to support their ongoing practice. Leaders recognise that they are not present in the day-to-day running of the nursery due to having an unsustainable workload themselves. This means that the staff team run the setting in their absence and report that their own workload is having an impact on their wellbeing.

Leaders and staff understand their community and have developed a curriculum to reflect children's needs, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those known to children's social care. They monitor children's attendance and share their expectations with parents. This helps keep children safe.

Leaders work closely with the children's parents and other professionals to provide swift support for children. They ensure that decisions about additional funding, including funding for disadvantaged children, are targeted on what the children receiving the funding need. For instance, they have purchased additional balance bikes to enable children to develop their physical development.