Little Crickets

Inclusion: Expected standard

Leaders work hard to create a culture where all children are included and their individual needs are met. Leaders and practitioners typically identify children's emerging needs quickly and accurately. Effective on-entry and ongoing assessments support practitioners to identify children who may need additional support. Settling-in procedures allow practitioners to spend extended periods of time with families. Through these interactions, practitioners develop a clear understanding of the children's current needs and how they can support them to make progress. As a result, children typically make progress from their starting points.

Leaders proactively engage with external professionals. They work collaboratively to create individualised support plans, drawing on their specialist guidance. Leaders and practitioners put strategies in place to enable all children to access the curriculum. For example, practitioners use a visual timetable to support children who face barriers to their communication and language development. This enables children to understand what is expected of them and reduces anxiety.

Leaders seek additional funding to support individual children's needs. Leaders use this funding to provide training for practitioners. As a result, children receive an appropriate level of support to meet their individual needs.

Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard

Leaders draw upon their knowledge of the families who attend and how young children learn to create a well-designed and progressive curriculum. Children's experiences in the natural world is a priority for leaders. They engage in long periods of focused attention as they explore the growing areas. Practitioners support children to care for living things. They plant, water and tend for fruit and vegetables. Practitioners skilfully adapt their communication to support the individual needs of the children. Children relish the opportunity to fill their own watering cans and harvest the carrots they have planted. As a result, children make sense of and learn about the diverse world we live in.

Leaders and practitioners place a strong emphasis on communication and language. They expertly develop children's language skills and their love for reading. For example, practitioners immerse children in an environment that is full of stories, rhymes and high-quality conversations. Children, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are able to choose their favourite rhyme and are keen to sing it with their peers. Practitioners carefully consider the children's developmental needs and tailor the activity. The ambitious design of the curriculum, together with high-quality teaching, consistently builds on children's knowledge.

Achievement: Strong standard

Children make progress from their starting points. They have the essential knowledge and skills for future success. Some children achieve beyond what would be expected for their age in communication and language skills. Gaps in children's knowledge are swiftly addressed. They develop an understanding of mathematics and readily use this in their independent play. For example, children diligently count the legs and the spots on the ladybirds they find. They compare and contrast quantities as they establish how many more is needed to create a set. Children are motivated and confident to try new things. For example, they experiment with how much more flour is needed to turn their gloopy mix into play dough. They relish in the praise they receive and develop a sense of pride in their achievements. As a result, children display a growing curiosity across all areas of learning.

All children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from individual support that reduces the barriers to learning that they face. This means that children are well prepared for the next stage in their learning and development.

Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines: Expected standard

Children behave well. Leaders and practitioners have high expectations of behaviour and communicate these with both children and families. On occasion, practitioners do not always explain why a behaviour is unwanted. As a result, some children do not always understand the consequences of their behaviour.

Key-person arrangements are effective. Practitioners know their key children well. They carve out protected time to spend with them, building warm, positive relationships. All children, especially the younger children, have secure attachments, supporting them to become increasingly engaged in their learning. Practitioners act as role models. They teach children how to treat all living things with care and kindness. For example, children discuss why it is important to hold the caterpillar gently and place it back in its natural habitat. As a result, children are respectful to each other and the world around them.

Children delight in seeing their friends and siblings in the nursery. Leaders and practitioners skilfully plan times where older and younger children join together, building relationships and cooperating in play. They share and take turns often. Older children support younger children to negotiate and manage conflict. Practitioners support children to label their emotions, especially children who have barriers to their learning. As a result, children understand the effects emotions have on their bodies.

Leaders actively promote attendance and punctuality. Effective policies ensure that attendance is monitored. This helps to keep children safe and fosters a culture of safeguarding.

Children's welfare and wellbeing: Expected standard

Leaders and practitioners create a safe and welcoming environment. Older children are independent learners and manage their care routines well. They independently use the toilet, wash their hands and serve themselves food. On occasion, younger children are not given the opportunity to learn how to manage their personal care needs. Leaders are aware of this and have taken action. However, this has not had time to be fully embedded yet. As a result, younger children are not always independent in managing their personal care needs.

Children receive healthy, balanced food that is cooked on site. Mealtimes are a social occasion. Older children are keen to set the table for lunch. Practitioners discuss the importance of healthy eating and the impact food has on our bodies. Children discuss the variety of fruit and vegetables they grow at the nursery. As a result, children are able to make reasoned healthy food choices. Routines for eating and sleeping are robust. Children are closely monitored, and food is prepared to minimise choking. Comprehensive policies for supporting children's dietary requirements are in place. This ensures that children stay safe.

Children enjoy extended daily access to the outdoors, both within and outside of the nursery. Children, including those who face barriers to their learning, have the space and time to develop physically. As a result, children develop long-lasting healthy habits.

Leadership and governance: Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of the nursery's strengths and weaknesses. They aspire for all children to make progress and be well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Leaders are reflective and committed to continuous development. They typically take into account the needs of the children and families that attend. They prioritise actions that will have the biggest impact on children. For example, leaders' current plans to extend children's love for the natural world by incorporating it indoors reflects the needs of the children.

Practitioners' workload and wellbeing are effectively managed. Leaders build trusting and respectful relationships with the team. They conduct regular supervision and ad-hoc meetings with practitioners. Through these meetings, practitioners typically discuss areas for development. As a result, practitioners feel valued and supported in their roles. Leaders and practitioners pride themselves on having an experienced team.

Leaders actively engage with external professionals. For example, leaders invite an early years quality assurance adviser to support with continuous professional development for the nursery. This ensures a culture of continual improvement. Leaders regularly invite families to the nursery to share in their children's learning. Through this partnership working, leaders strive to work in the best interests of the children.